What Happens When a Payment Fails

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If an automatic payment fails we try it again, and email you each time, before anything is switched off. This guide explains the timeline, how to pay a failed invoice and how to get a suspended service back.

The Timeline

• 7 days before renewal: the renewal invoice is created and emailed to you.
• 1 day before the due date: we take payment from the card or PayPal account set up for automatic payments.
• On the due date: if that failed, we try again and email you a link to pay.
• 1 day after the due date: a service whose invoice is still unpaid is suspended. Your files, email and databases are kept.
• 3 and 7 days after the due date: we try the payment again. As soon as it goes through, the service is switched back on.

If your bank declines the card outright (for example, a stolen or closed card), we stop retrying it until you change how you pay. If you are expecting a problem, open a ticket before the due date: we can often arrange a short extension.

How to Pay a Failed Invoice

1. Log in to the client area.
2. Go to Billing → Invoices and find the unpaid invoice.
3. Click the invoice, then click Pay Now.
4. Pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal.

Once payment is confirmed, your service is unsuspended automatically, usually within a few minutes. If it is not back within 30 minutes of paying, open a support ticket.

Why Did My Card Fail?

• The card has expired or been replaced: add the new one on the Automatic payments page.
• There were not enough funds at the time of collection.
• Your bank declined the payment. Some banks block recurring payments to a new merchant; ask your bank to allow payments to TekLan.
• Your bank asked you to confirm the payment (3D Secure) and it was not confirmed in time. Paying the invoice yourself once usually sorts this out.

See the payment methods guide for how to change your card.

PayPal Payment Failures

A PayPal payment can fail if your PayPal balance is too low or the card or bank linked to PayPal has a problem. Log in to PayPal and check your account, then pay the open invoice in the client area. Future renewals are then taken from PayPal as normal.

Data Retention After Suspension

Suspended services stay on our systems for a while before they are cancelled and deleted. If you pay in that time, everything comes back as it was. Once a service is cancelled its data cannot be recovered, so act on overdue invoice emails promptly.