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My Subscription Payment Failed

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Card declines happen — expired cards, replaced cards, exceeded limits, fraud-protection holds. When a DOT Lead Scout charge fails, your account doesn't immediately shut off. There's a built-in grace period during which Stripe retries the payment automatically and you have time to update your card. This article walks through what happens at each step.

What You'll See When a Payment Fails #

  • An email from us — subject line "Payment Failed" — sent within minutes of the decline
  • A red banner in your portal — appears at the top of every page until the payment is resolved
  • Subscription status changes to past_due in the Plan tab
  • Features stay active — you don't lose access immediately, so you have time to update your card

The Retry Timeline #

Stripe automatically retries failed subscription charges according to a smart-retry schedule. Approximately:
DayWhat happens
Day 0Initial charge fails. past_due banner appears. Email sent.
Day ~3First retry. If it succeeds, status returns to active and the banner disappears.
Day ~5Second retry. Email sent if still failing.
Day ~7Third retry. Email sent if still failing.
Day ~10Final retry. After this, if still unpaid…
Day ~10+Status moves to cancelled. Access is revoked. To re-subscribe, go to Plan tab and start a new subscription.
Update your card before the retries exhaust

The retry window is your grace period. Updating your card anytime before the final retry resolves the issue with no loss of access. Stripe will charge the new card automatically on the next retry attempt.

How to Update Your Card #

Two ways — pick whichever is more convenient:
Option A: In-portal update

Click Update Card on the past-due banner or the Plan tab. A secure Stripe Elements form lets you enter the new card details. Save, and Stripe immediately retries the failed payment.

Option B: Stripe Customer Portal

Click Manage in Stripe Portal. The full Stripe-hosted billing portal opens in a new tab — useful for managing multiple cards, downloading past invoices, or updating billing address.

Common Reasons Cards Fail #

ReasonHow to fix
Card expiredUpdate with the new expiration date (and CVV) on the same card.
Card replacedUpdate with the new card number, expiration, and CVV. Ignore the old card entirely.
Insufficient fundsWait for funds to clear, or switch to a card with available balance.
Fraud-protection holdCall your bank's number on the back of the card to authorize the charge. Then retry.
Address mismatchUpdate billing address in the Stripe Customer Portal to match what your bank has on file.
Daily limit exceededSwitch to a different card, or wait until the daily limit resets.

If Your Account Already Cancelled #

If retries exhausted before you could update your card, your subscription has moved to cancelled. Don't worry — this isn't permanent:
  • Your account is preserved. Email, password, lists, notes, reminders — nothing is deleted
  • Re-subscribe from the Plan tab — click any plan, enter a working card, and you're active again
  • Everything comes back exactly where you left it — you don't lose your work or have to rebuild lists
  • You may be eligible for a coupon if you're returning — email info@dotleadscout.com and ask

Why Did My Card Fail If I Just Used It Yesterday? #

A few common patterns:
  • Recurring charges look different to your bank than one-off purchases. Some banks flag recurring as fraud the first time it hits a new card.
  • Card was replaced after the original — you updated the card with your bank but forgot to update it everywhere it's billing recurringly
  • Bank changed your daily/monthly limit for fraud reasons after a suspicious activity flag elsewhere
  • The CVV changed when the card was reissued with the same number (rare but happens)
Updated on April 30, 2026
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