A declined card doesn't cut you off straight away. There's a defined sequence of retries and warnings, and fixing your payment method at any point stops it. This guide explains what happens and when.
The sequence
Counting from the day the payment first fails:
| Day | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 | We retry the payment automatically and email you that it failed |
| 3 | Second automatic retry |
| 7 | Third retry, plus a final warning email |
| 10 | Fourth retry. If it fails, service is suspended |
| 14 | Final retry attempt |
| 30 | The subscription is cancelled |
Retries happen once a day as part of an overnight run, so a fix you make during the day is picked up that night.
What "suspended" means
Suspension stops the service running — it does not delete anything. Your configuration, numbers and history are intact, and paying the outstanding balance restores service. Numbers are not released at suspension.
Cancellation at day 30 is the point at which things start to be released, which is why it's worth resolving well before then.
How to stop the clock
The fastest fix is usually the payment method itself:
- Go to Billing → Overview.
- Check the card on file hasn't expired and the details are current.
- Add a replacement method if needed, and set it as Default — the default is what retries charge.
- Open the unpaid invoice from Billing → Invoices and use Pay Now to settle it immediately rather than waiting for the next retry.
Canadian customers can also pay by Interac e-Transfer from the invoice. The request stays valid for 7 days.
If your accounts-payable team pays by EFT or cheque, contact support with the reference once it's sent and we'll record it against the invoice.
Common reasons a payment fails
- The card expired, or was reissued with a new number.
- The card's limit or a bank fraud rule blocked the charge.
- The saved method was removed and no new default was set.
- The bank account for pre-authorized debit was closed.
Avoiding it next time
- Keep more than one payment method saved, so there's a fallback.
- Turn on auto-recharge for your prepaid wallet so pay-as-you-go usage never stops — see Adding Funds to Your Prepaid Wallet.
- Make sure billing notifications go to an address someone reads. You can control which ones you receive under your billing notification preferences.