At some point, you may encounter a failed payment from a student. In this article, we will discuss what to do when this happens, and how to retry a failed payment.
In this article:
How to Manually Retry a Failed Payment
How It Works
At some point, you may notice that a recurring payment on a student's account is showing that it has not gone through. If a student's recurring payment fails, the Status in the Payments table will show as Past due, and the student will lose access to the product.
If this happens, Thinkific Payments will retry the failed payment five times over a three-week period. By default, students will be notified via email if their subscription or payment plan payment fails. Students can renew subscriptions or payment plans themselves from their billing page after a payment fails by clicking the Renew button as outlined here.
If the payment is not successfully captured after three weeks, the subscription or payment plan will be canceled. Students will then have the option to re-enroll in the product. Student progress in a product is saved even if a subscription or payment plan is canceled or past due.
Card Account Updater
Card account updater (CAU) is a service offered by credit card companies and payment gateways to help businesses maintain up-to-date credit and debit card information. When a customer’s payment information changes because a card has expired or been replaced, the CAU automatically updates the card details in the business’s system.
Tired of interruptions due to outdated payment details? With TCommerce, Card Account Updater (CAU) ensures your customers' credit and debit card information stays up-to-date. Whether a card expires or is replaced, CAU automatically updates the details in your system, minimizing failed payments and keeping subscriptions and payment plans on track. This exclusive feature is available to all creators using Thinkific Payments and is just one more reason TCommerce is built for your business growth!
How to Manually Retry a Failed Payment
If you need to manually retry an outstanding student subscription or payment plan payment, you can do so from the Payments table:
- From your Admin Dashboard, select Users
- Select All Users
- In the Users table click on a student's Full Name to view their profile
- Select the Payments tab
- Click the ellipses (3 dot icon) next to any Past due products
- Click Retry Failed Payment
- Review the payment information and click on Charge Customer
If the payment is successfully captured, the Status will change to Active in the Payments table.
If the outstanding payment is not captured, the Status will remain as Past due and Thinkific Payments will continue to retry the payment. If the payment is not successfully captured within three weeks of the payment renewal date (when the payment initially failed), the subscription or payment plan will be automatically canceled and the Status will change to Canceled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my students retry their own payments if they fail?
Yes. Students are able to retry their own failed payments by clicking the renew button (as outlined in our How can students manage their billing and credit card information? article).