What happens when a recurring payment fails?
Start with the payment status your provider reports. The next steps may include a retry, a customer notification or manual review; the exact sequence depends on the configured payment workflow.
Quick answer
Check the payment status your provider reports before you change anything. In Komashi, a failed recurring charge is attempted again two days after the first attempt, and then five days after that. If the third attempt also fails, the failure notification is sent.
Retry and notification timing in Komashi
- Attempt 1: the scheduled charge on the billing date
- Attempt 2: two days after attempt 1, if it failed
- Attempt 3: five days after attempt 2, seven days after the first charge
- After the third failed attempt, the failure notification is sent
Provider differences
Retry, notification and authentication behavior can differ by provider and payment method. The timing above is the Komashi workflow; confirm your provider behavior before you rely on it for a specific payment method.
See subscription managementWhat your team should do next
- Confirm the status your provider reports for the failed charge
- Decide who contacts the customer and what they are asked to do
- Check whether the customer has changed the card or payment method
- Keep the subscription record up to date when a charge succeeds or the retries end
Ready to put this into practice?
Explore subscription management.