> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.uplifter.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What happens when a recurring charge fails?

> How retries, suspension, and recovery work when a family's card is declined.

<Note>
  **Must know**

  * By default, the system retries a declined charge **up to 3 times, at least 20 hours apart**, then marks it **FAILED**. If you've set a payment grace period (**Settings → Financial Setup → Payment Schedule**), suspension is instead based on days past the due date.
  * Once a charge is **FAILED**, the daily run won't retry it on its own — a staff member uses the **Retry** action on the Recurring Billing page.
  * When the charge goes through again, a suspended **pass or membership** is restored automatically.
</Note>

When the daily run charges a family's card and the card is declined, the charge doesn't fail immediately. Instead it enters a retry cycle.

## The retry cycle

Each attempt is spaced at least 20 hours apart, so a family isn't hit repeatedly in one day. The failure count shows next to the status on the Recurring Billing page. By default, after the **third** unsuccessful attempt the charge status becomes **FAILED** and what it was paying for is suspended. (If you've configured a payment grace period, the switch to **FAILED** happens once the charge is past due by your grace window instead — which can be sooner or later than three tries.)

When a charge is suspended:

* **Passes expire** and **memberships lapse.**
* **Program enrollments are not paused automatically** — billing stops, but the athlete's spot stays **Active** for you to review and handle manually.

The guardian is notified along the way and prompted to fix their payment method.

## Getting a charge back on track

A **FAILED** charge is not picked up again automatically. To recover it, use the **Retry** action from the charge's **⋯** menu — this sets it back to Active so it's attempted again on the next daily run. If a bad card caused the decline, ask the family to update their card first, then Retry; a family adding a card on its own does not resume a Failed charge.

As soon as a charge succeeds, the suspension lifts on its own — the pass is restored (or the membership reactivated) and coverage extends to the next period. Program enrollments were never paused, so there's nothing to re-enroll.

**Related:** [How do I pause, resume, or cancel a recurring charge?](/club/payments-checkout/pause-resume-cancel-recurring-charge) · [What are stored cards, and who manages them?](/club/payments-checkout/stored-cards-explained) · [What happens when a membership payment fails?](/club/memberships/what-happens-when-a-membership-payment-fails)