Handle a failed payment
Web Owner · AdminWhat happens automatically
The moment a payment fails:
- The failure is recorded on the member with the reason
- Their subscription moves to a past-due state
- They receive a notification with a link to update their card
- If Payment Recovery is on, Avex AI sends a recovery message in your voice
- Repeat failures escalate to your staff with the member’s full payment history
Most failures resolve without you — the member updates their card and the charge retries.
Where to find them
Billing → failed payments. Each shows the member, amount, date, and failure reason.
Common failure reasons
| Reason | What it means | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Insufficient funds | Not enough money | They retry after payday, usually resolves itself |
| Card expired | Expiration passed | New card needed |
| Card declined | Bank rejected it | They contact their bank, or use a different card |
| Lost or stolen card | Card reported | New card required |
| Do not honor | Generic bank rejection | Different card, or they call their bank |
When to step in
Step in when:
- The same member fails three or more times
- The failure reason is permanent (lost, stolen, closed)
- They’ve stopped responding to recovery messages
Call them. A payment failure is usually a card problem, not a cancellation signal — but an unanswered one often becomes a cancellation.
What not to do
Don’t immediately cancel a past-due member. Cards fail constantly for reasons unrelated to intent. Let recovery run first.
Related
Last updated on