TL;DR: Stripe tries to charge 3 times (spread over days). If all fail, subscription auto-cancels and member loses access. You can change retry settings in your Stripe account settings. If you don't have your own Stripe, contact [email protected] to modify settings.
The Payment Retry Process
What Happens When a Payment Fails
When a member's card is declined:
Stripe doesn't just give up. It automatically tries again multiple times. Here's the general process:
Day 0 (Billing day): First charge attempt
Card is declined
Member is notified by email
Subscription goes to "Past due" status
Days 1-3: Retry attempts
Stripe tries again (up to 3 times total)
Each attempt separated by time
Member gets notified of each failure
After Final Retry: Outcome
If charge succeeds: Subscription continues
If all retries fail: Subscription auto-cancels
Member loses access to community
Default Retry Settings
LaunchPass uses Stripe's defaults:
Number of retries: 3 attempts total
Timing between retries: Spread over several days
Timeline: Usually resolves in 3-5 days
Final outcome: Auto-cancel if all fail
This means:
Members get multiple chances
Time to update their card
Automatic cancellation prevents stuck accounts
How Long Until Member Gets Kicked?
Timeline for member removal:
Stage | Timing | What Happens |
Billing date | Day 0 | Charge attempt fails |
Retry 1 | Day 1-2 | Stripe tries again |
Retry 2 | Day 2-3 | Stripe tries again |
Retry 3 | Day 3-4 | Final attempt |
Final outcome | Day 4-5 | If all fail: Account auto-cancels |
Access removed | Day 5-6 | Member loses community access |
Bottom line: 5-6 days from failed payment until access is gone.
Understanding "Past Due" Status
What "Past Due" Means
When a payment fails, the subscription enters "Past due" status. This is a temporary state.
During "Past due":
Member usually keeps access (community stays available)
Stripe keeps trying to charge
Member has time to update billing
No late fees (unless you configure them)
Email reminders sent to member
After retries fail:
Subscription auto-cancels
Member loses access immediately
"Past due" status ends
Why Members Stay in "Past due"
Strategy: Give members time to fix their payment method.
Benefits for you:
Members don't suddenly lose access mid-use
Time to update card without losing access
Less frustration = better retention
Some members will fix and continue
Benefits for members:
Know about problem (email notification)
Can fix without disruption
Keep using community while fixing
Smoother experience
Customizing Retry Settings
If You Have Your Own Stripe Account
You can change retry settings:
To modify payment retry rules:
Log into Stripe at https://dashboard.stripe.com
Click Settings (bottom left of menu)
Go to "Billing" or "Retry rules"
Look for "Automatic retry rules" or similar
You can change:
Number of retries (currently 3)
Days between retries
Final outcome when retries fail
Save your changes
Options you might adjust:
Setting | Default | Options | Impact |
Retry attempts | 3 | 1-5 attempts | More attempts = longer before cancel |
Retry schedule | Every 1-2 days | Customizable | Spread out or compress timeline |
Days before cancel | ~5 days | Customizable | How long member has to fix |
Email member? | Yes | Yes/No | Whether member gets notifications |
Example changes:
More lenient: 5 retries over 10 days (give members more time)
More aggressive: 2 retries over 3 days (remove problem payers faster)
Balanced: 3 retries over 5 days (current default, good middle ground)
If You Don't Have Your Own Stripe Account
If LaunchPass manages your Stripe:
Contact [email protected] to request changes:
Email us:
"Hi, I'd like to change my payment retry settings. Currently [describe what you want].
Can you:
Increase/decrease number of retries
Extend/shorten timeline
Change notification settings
Other: ___________
Thanks!"
Include:
What you want to change
Why (optional but helpful)
Your community name
Response time: Usually within 24 hours
Managing Failed Payments
Identifying Members in "Past Due"
In your LaunchPass dashboard:
Go to Members or Subscriptions
Look for "Past due" status
You'll see list of members with failed payments
What you can do:
Note their names
Review their history
Reach out personally if needed
Wait for auto-cancel (automatic)
Or manually cancel if you want
Reaching Out to Members in "Past Due"
You can send them a message:
"Hi [Member]! We noticed your payment didn't go through.
No worries—it happens! Here's how to fix it:
Go to your Customer Portal: https://launchpass.com/portal
Click "Update Billing"
Enter your new card
Done!
Your access will continue once the payment goes through.
Having issues? Reply to this or email [email protected]"
This helps because:
Personal touch increases likelihood they'll fix it
Shows you care
Reduces automatic cancellations
Might recover subscriptions you'd lose otherwise
When to Manually Cancel Instead
You might cancel manually if:
Member asks you to (honor their request)
Account has been "Past due" for 30+ days (stuck)
Member is no longer active (decide based on your policy)
Member is problematic (your discretion)
How to manually cancel:
Find member in your dashboard
Look for "Cancel subscription" option
Click and confirm
Member loses access immediately
Document why: Keep notes for your records (optional but helpful).
Common Scenarios
Scenario 1: Card Expires
What happens:
Billing date arrives
Card is expired, charge fails
Member gets email notifications
Member goes to Customer Portal, updates card
Next retry succeeds
Member keeps access
Timeline: Usually fixes within 1-2 days
Outcome: Subscription continues
Scenario 2: Insufficient Funds
What happens:
Member doesn't have enough balance
Charge fails
Member gets notified
Member adds money or uses different card
Updates in Customer Portal
Payment retried and succeeds
Timeline: May take 2-3 days if member is away
Outcome: Subscription usually continues
Scenario 3: Fraud Detection
What happens:
Bank flags charge as potentially fraudulent
Charge is automatically declined
Member receives notification
Member contacts their bank to approve
Member may need to update card
Retry succeeds or member updates
Timeline: 1-3 days typically
Outcome: Usually resolved, subscription continues
Scenario 4: Member Doesn't Update
What happens:
Charge fails
Stripe retries 3 times
Member doesn't update billing or respond
All retries fail
Subscription auto-cancels after 5-6 days
Member loses access automatically
Timeline: 5-6 days
Outcome: Access removed, can reactivate if they pay
Scenario 5: Member Left Intentionally
What happens:
Member intentionally doesn't update card
Payment fails
Stripe retries as normal
Member doesn't respond to emails
Subscription auto-cancels
Looks like they paid, but they left intentionally
Timeline: 5-6 days
Outcome: Access removed, member happy (got out without contacting you)
Refunds for Failed Payments
When to Issue Refund
You generally DON'T refund for failed payments because:
Member wasn't charged (payment failed)
No money left their account
Nothing to refund
But you MIGHT refund if:
Charge somehow went through despite failure
Double charge occurred
Member requests as courtesy
How to Issue Refund
If refund is needed:
Log into Stripe at https://dashboard.stripe.com
Go to Payments or Invoices
Find the charge
Click "Refund"
Choose full or partial
Confirm refund
Timeline:
Refund issued immediately in Stripe
Member sees refund 1-2 business days
May show as "pending" first
If you don't have Stripe access:
Contact [email protected]
Provide member email and charge details
They can issue refund for you
Preventing Payment Failures
Best Practices
Reduce failed payments:
Remind members before billing
Email 3 days before: "Your billing date is coming"
Reminder about payment method
Link to update if needed
Make it easy to update
Share Customer Portal link often
Pin in community: "Update your billing here"
Include in welcome message
Watch your pricing
Too high = more people skip payment intentionally
Reasonable pricing = better payment rates
Consider payment plans for high prices
Communicate value
Show ROI to members
Highlight wins and progress
Regular value emails = more likely to pay
Set clear expectations
Explain billing date
Explain auto-renewal
Show what happens if payment fails
Email Reminders (Optional)
Send these emails to reduce failures:
1 week before billing:
"Your membership renews in 7 days!
Billing date: [DATE] Amount: $29/month
Your card on file: •••• 1234
If this card is expired or about to expire, update it now: [link]
No action needed if your card is current."
3 days before:
"Quick reminder: Your [Community] membership renews in 3 days.
Make sure your payment method is current: [link]
See you inside!"
These emails:
Reduce surprise charges
Catch expired cards before failure
Show you're organized
Improve retention
Troubleshooting
"Member Says They Were Charged But Lost Access"
This shouldn't happen, but here's what to check:
Check Stripe dashboard
Did charge actually go through?
Look at payment history
Confirm amount and date
Check subscription status
Is subscription active or canceled?
When was it canceled?
By who (automatic vs manual)?
If charge succeeded but access lost:
Might be sync delay (wait 10 minutes)
Might be technical issue
Contact [email protected] with details
If charge shows but member denies:
Ask member to check their bank
Ask for transaction ID
Verify it's really their account
"Member Claims They Updated Card But Lost Access"
What might have happened:
Update didn't process
Customer Portal might have error
Card info might be incomplete
Update didn't save properly
Sync timing issue
Update saved but not synced to Stripe yet
Takes a few minutes sometimes
Subscription canceled before sync
Card is still invalid
New card is also declined
Different issue with new card
Different problem (insufficient funds, fraud flag)
What to do:
Ask member to update again - Fresh attempt
Check Stripe - See if new card is on file
Manually retry charge - Force another attempt
Wait 15 minutes - Let sync happen
Check again - Did it work this time?
If still failing:
Ask member to contact their bank
Offer to reactivate manually once they have working card
Contact [email protected] if technical issue
"I Have Too Many Members in 'Past Due'"
Why this happens:
Payment failures are spiking
Could indicate pricing issue
Could indicate product issue
Could be temporary (payment processor glitch)
What to check:
Is there a pattern?
All happening same day? (processor glitch)
Spread over time? (various issues)
Same member type? (pricing too high for segment?)
Check Stripe
Look at decline reasons
Card expired? Insufficient funds? Fraud flag?
Are similar charges failing across board?
Email members
Ask if they're having issues
Offer to help troubleshoot
Check if there's a real problem
Adjust if needed
Lower price if too high
Improve value if declining
Communicate better if confusion
"How Do I Manually Retry a Charge?"
To force retry on "Past due" subscription:
If you have Stripe:
Find the subscription
Look for "Retry" button
Click it to force immediate retry
Check back in 5 minutes
If LaunchPass manages Stripe:
Contact [email protected]
Provide member email
Ask them to retry charge
They'll force it for you
Best Practices Summary
For Reducing Payment Failures
✅ Send reminder emails before billing
✅ Make updating payment easy and obvious
✅ Communicate clear billing date
✅ Include Customer Portal link frequently
✅ Explain what happens if payment fails
✅ Have reasonable pricing for your tier
✅ Show consistent value to justify renewal
✅ Reach out personally to "Past due" members
For Managing Failed Payments
✅ Monitor "Past due" members regularly
✅ Reach out to them proactively
✅ Check Stripe for decline reasons
✅ Know your retry settings
✅ Document any manual cancellations
✅ Be empathetic (technical issues happen)
✅ Offer help troubleshooting
✅ Contact [email protected] for issues you can't resolve
Related Resources
What is Stripe? (payment processor info)
General Stripe FAQs (Stripe details)
Stripe Payment Retry Documentation (Stripe official)
Stripe Dashboard (your Stripe account)
Key Takeaways
✅ Default: Stripe retries 3 times over 5-6 days
✅ Member status: "Past due" during retry period, keeps access
✅ If all retries fail: Subscription auto-cancels, access removed
✅ Timeline: 5-6 days from failed payment to removal
✅ Member notification: Email at each stage
✅ You can customize: Retry settings in your Stripe account
✅ Prevention: Reminder emails + easy updating reduces failures
✅ Proactive: Reach out to "Past due" members personally
✅ Support: LaunchPass can help if you don't have Stripe access
Need Help?
Have questions about payment failures or member removal?
Email LaunchPass support: [email protected]
We can help with:
Understanding retry settings
Changing retry rules (if LaunchPass manages Stripe)
"Past due" issues or questions
Troubleshooting payment problems
Member access issues related to payments
Manual retries or cancellations
For Stripe-specific questions:
Stripe Support: https://support.stripe.com/
Stripe Docs: https://stripe.com/docs/
Response time: Usually within 24 hours