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When a subscription payment fails

A failed renewal is stressful, but you have time. When your Plus or Pro renewal doesn't go through, you keep your plan for a 7-day grace period while you sort it out. Only if the payment still hasn't gone through by the end does your account move to the Free plan, and you can get your plan back from there too.

This page is about paying for CoreHue itself. If a client's payment to you failed, see How getting paid works in CoreHue.

The grace period​

The 7 days start when the renewal fails. During them your plan carries on as normal, with all its features and limits, and your clients notice nothing. If the payment goes through at any point, nothing changes.

What you see when a renewal fails​

The same notices appear whether you pay through Stripe (US dollars) or Paystack (Naira).

  • Your Home screen shows Renewal payment failed with the date your access continues until, and a Review payment button. In the last 48 hours it changes to Payment deadline approaching, with the amount and the deadline.
  • A pill in the dashboard header shows what's needed: Payment failed, Update card, Approve payment or Payment processing. Click it to open your billing page.
  • Your billing page shows a card at the top that explains what happened and gives you the right button. The plan badge on that page can also read Past due during the grace period.

The buttons on that billing page card:

  • Retry payment charges your saved card again now.
  • Use another card opens Stripe's or Paystack's secure page so you can pay with a different card.
  • Complete payment appears when your bank needs you to approve the payment.

Automatic retries and emails​

Your card is tried again automatically during the grace period. On Paystack, CoreHue retries on days 1, 3 and 6 after the failure. On Stripe, Stripe retries the card on its own schedule.

We keep you posted by email:

  1. "Your Plus renewal didn't go through" (or Pro), straight after the failure
  2. "Your Plus payment is still due", after a retry that didn't work
  3. "Today is the last day to keep Plus", on the final day

Once the payment goes through, we email you to confirm your plan has renewed. See Paying for CoreHue in Nigeria for more on Paystack.

When the grace period ends​

If the payment still hasn't gone through, your account moves to the Free plan and we email you ("We couldn't renew your Plus plan"). Your work stays in your account, but Free's limits apply from that day: see What's included on the Free plan. If your galleries use more than 3.5 GB, the oldest are hidden from clients and you have 30 days before their files are deleted. See When you're over your storage limit.

Getting your plan back​

Your billing page says "Your Plus renewal didn't go through." (or Pro), and you can restore your plan whenever you're ready:

  1. Go to Settings → Billing.
  2. If the card was the problem and the Plan section offers Change card (or Add card), use it to save a working card.
  3. Otherwise, open the Plans page. If the payment you missed can still be settled, the plan buttons read Review payment; if not, choose your plan again.

As soon as the payment goes through, your plan comes back, along with everything Free had paused. If you use a custom domain, reconnect it under Settings → Domains.

Frequently asked questions​

Will my clients notice a failed CoreHue payment?​

No, not during the 7-day grace period. Your galleries, booking pages and invoices carry on as normal for your clients while you fix the payment.

Why did my CoreHue renewal payment fail?​

Usually the card has expired, has run out of funds, or the bank wants you to approve the charge. Your bank can tell you exactly why.

Can I pay a failed CoreHue renewal before the next automatic retry?​

Yes. Choose Retry payment in the card at the top of Settings → Billing whenever you're ready, or Use another card to pay with a different card. This works whether you're billed through Stripe or Paystack.

I paid but my CoreHue account is still on Free. What should I do?​

Give it a few minutes, then refresh your billing page. If it still hasn't updated, contact us with the date and amount and we'll sort it out.

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