Why did my payment fail, and what can I do?

Common reasons payments fail, what happens next, and how to get your card sorted.

A failed payment usually isn't anything to worry about, and it's almost always quick to fix. Here's why it happens and how to get things back on track.

Common reasons a payment fails

Most failed payments come down to one of these:

• Expired or replaced card. The card on file has expired, or your bank has issued you a new one

• Insufficient funds. There wasn't enough available balance when we tried to take payment

• Your bank declined the charge. Banks sometimes block payments they don't recognise, particularly the first one, or anything that looks like an unusual or international charge

• Incorrect card details. A wrong card number, expiry date, security code (CVC), or billing postcode will stop a payment going through

• Card not set up for recurring or online payments. Some cards, often prepaid or certain business cards, aren't enabled for subscriptions

• A spending or transaction limit. The charge may have pushed you over a daily limit or your card's credit limit

• Verification wasn't completed. Many UK and EU banks ask you to approve a payment through your banking app or a text code. If that step is missed, the payment fails

• A temporary issue on the bank's side. Occasionally the bank's system is simply having a moment

What happens after a failed payment

There's a safety net built in, so a single failed payment won't immediately affect your account:

• We'll automatically try the payment again over the next few days, so often there's nothing you need to do

• We'll email you to let you know a payment didn't go through, and we'll prompt you if we need you to update anything

• To avoid any interruption to your Fyxer account, it's worth resolving it sooner rather than later

What you can do to fix it

Run through these in order:

1. Check your card details. Make sure the card number, expiry, CVC, and billing postcode are all correct and the card hasn't expired

2. Make sure funds are available. A quick balance check rules out the most common cause

3. Update your payment method. Head to the Stripe billing portal, where you can add a new card, update your existing one, and view your invoices

4. Approve the payment with your bank. If your bank sends a verification request (an app notification or a text), complete it. Without it, the payment can't go through

5. Ask your bank if it's still being declined. Your bank can see exactly why a charge was blocked and can clear it for you. This is usually the fastest fix for a stubborn decline

6. Try a different card. If one card keeps failing, adding another often does the trick

Still have questions?

Head to the chat in the bottom right of your Dashboard.