When a payment fails
Updated 16 September 2026
If a renewal fails, your plan card shows "Payment needs attention" and the member lessons pause; update your card under "Manage billing" and access comes back as soon as the next attempt goes through.
When a renewal payment doesn't go through, the plan card under Account → Billing reads Payment needs attention with the status Review your payment details, and the member-only clips, tests and practice pages lock until a payment succeeds. The quickest fix is to choose Manage billing, update your card, and let Stripe charge it again. Your account and everything you've saved stay exactly as they are in the meantime.
Why a renewal fails
The usual reasons, in order of how often we see them:
- The card expired or was replaced, so the number on file no longer works.
- Your bank blocked the charge. Some banks decline foreign or online subscription payments until you approve them in your banking app.
- Not enough funds on the day the renewal was due.
- A one-time security check from your bank that needs you to confirm the payment.
Whatever the cause, Stripe normally tries the card again over the following days, so a temporary problem often clears itself. You don't have to wait for that.
Update your card
- Sign in and open Account, then Billing.
- Choose Manage billing. Stripe's billing portal opens in Stripe's own design.
- Add a new card or update the details of the existing one, and pay the open invoice if the portal offers it.
- Stripe brings you back to your account Overview. Once the payment succeeds, the plan card returns to Membership active with your next charge date, and every lesson unlocks again. If it still shows Payment needs attention a few minutes later, reload the Billing page.
If you'd rather stop instead of paying, cancel from the same portal: see Cancelling your membership.
Check the invoice
Under Invoices on the Billing page, the failed renewal shows as Unpaid. It changes to Paid when the retry succeeds, and to Cancelled if the subscription ends without payment. See Invoices and receipts.
If the pricing page says "Check your existing membership"
When the pricing page shows "Check your existing membership or refund before starting another payment" instead of a payment button, it's because your existing plan still needs sorting out. Don't try to buy again; go to Account → Billing, update your card there, and your original plan carries on.
If nothing is done
If every retry fails, Stripe stops trying and the subscription ends. The plan card then reads Membership ended and shows See membership options, which takes you to the pricing page. Paying there starts a new plan from that day, so nothing is owed for the gap.
If your card is fine and the payment still fails, or you were charged but the page still says Payment needs attention, write to us with "Billing" selected and tell us the date on the invoice. A person replies within one working day and can check the payment with Stripe.
