> ## 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 an automatic payment fails?

> The retry attempts, the emails you'll get, and the pause that follows repeated failure.

<Note>
  **Must know**

  * A failed automatic payment is retried automatically. By default that's **up to 3 attempts**, each at least about 20 hours apart — but if your gym has set a grace period, it keeps retrying until that window ends instead, which can be fewer or more tries.
  * You get a notification on **each** failed attempt, and every one includes a link to update your saved payment method.
  * When retries run out, automatic billing **stops**. A **pass** is marked expired and a **membership** is marked lapsed (both lose access until it's sorted out); a **program enrollment** stays active — only its billing stops, and your gym follows up.
</Note>

If an automatic charge can't go through, Uplifter doesn't give up after one try — it retries automatically.

## What happens, in order

1. **The charge fails.** You're emailed that the attempt didn't go through. Nothing changes about your access yet.
2. **It retries.** Uplifter tries again on a later run, waiting at least about 20 hours between attempts.
3. **When retries run out, automatic billing stops.** A **pass** is marked expired and a **membership** is marked lapsed — both recoverable once payment is sorted out. A **program enrollment** is different: your athlete keeps their spot and only the automatic charge stops, and your gym follows up with you.

## Why act early

Because you're told after every failed attempt, the best moment to fix things is before the last try. On your **Billing** page, add your new payment method and **remove the old one** — the next scheduled charge then uses your current Primary method, so billing recovers on its own. (Just adding a new method or marking it Primary isn't enough: while the old one is on file, the charge keeps retrying it.) You can also pay the outstanding **Pay this order** invoice for that period from **Orders**: as long as automatic billing hasn't stopped yet, the next run sees the period paid, the retry count resets, and the schedule picks back up on your saved card.

Once automatic billing has stopped, it doesn't restart on its own. Reactivating a **membership** is handled with your gym — see [What happens when a membership payment fails?](/families/families-memberships-passes/membership-payment-failed). A **pass** is different: buying that same pass again on your gym's site reactivates it automatically — the credits reset and it's active again, no gym contact needed.

**Related:** [When will my automatic payments be charged?](/families/families-payments-billing/when-will-automatic-payments-be-charged) · [What happens when a membership payment fails?](/families/families-memberships-passes/membership-payment-failed) · [How do I change or remove my default payment method?](/families/families-payments-billing/change-or-remove-default-payment-method) · [How do I pay an order that's due or overdue?](/families/families-payments-billing/pay-an-order-that-is-due-or-overdue)