Payment & Billing Troubleshooting

Money matters! Let's resolve any payment or billing issues quickly so you can focus on growing your business.

💳 Failed Customer Payments

Understanding why payments fail

Common failure reasons and solutions:

Setting up smart payment recovery

Automatic retry schedule (recommended):

Day 1: Initial charge
Day 3: First retry (if failed)
Day 5: Second retry + email warning
Day 7: Third retry + urgent notice
Day 10: Final retry before suspension

Enable in Dashboard:

1. Settings > Payments > Recovery
2. Toggle "Smart Retries"
3. Customize email templates
4. Set grace period (recommend 10 days)

Helping customers update payment methods

Send this template to customers:

Hi [Name],

Your payment method needs updating. Here's how:

1. Log into your account at [site]
2. Go to Account > Billing
3. Click "Update Payment Method"
4. Enter new card details
5. Save changes

Your access continues immediately after updating!

Pro tip: Create a video walkthrough showing the exact steps. This reduces support requests by 70%.

🔄 Subscription Issues

Subscription not renewing

Diagnostic checklist:

• [ ] Check subscription status in Stripe Dashboard
• [ ] Verify webhook endpoints are active
• [ ] Look for webhook failures in logs
• [ ] Confirm customer has active payment method
• [ ] Check for subscription pause or cancellation

Fix webhook issues:

1. Test webhook endpoint:

   Settings > Integrations > Webhooks
   Click "Send Test Event"
   Should return 200 OK

2. Re-sync subscription:

   Members > [Customer] > Subscriptions
   Click "Sync with Stripe"
   Forces immediate status update

Customer seeing "Payment Required" despite paying

Quick resolution steps:

1. Verify in Stripe:

   • Open Stripe Dashboard
   • Search customer email
   • Confirm payment succeeded
   • Copy payment ID

2. Manual sync:

   • Dashboard > Members > [Customer]
   • Click "Sync Payment Status"
   • Paste Stripe payment ID
   • Status updates immediately

3. Grant temporary access (while investigating):

   • Members > [Customer] > Access
   • Click "Override Access"
   • Set 24-hour temporary access
   • Investigate root cause

Subscription upgrades/downgrades not working

Proper upgrade process:

1. Customer selects new plan
2. System calculates prorated amount
3. Charges or credits difference
4. Updates access immediately

If not working:

• Clear browser cache
• Check plan configuration
• Verify Stripe product IDs match
• Test in Stripe test mode first

💰 Refund Management

Processing refunds correctly

Full refund process:

1. In Selgora Dashboard:

   Payments > Transactions
   Find payment > Click "Refund"
   Select "Full Refund"
   Add reason (optional)
   Confirm refund

2. What happens automatically:

   • Money returned to customer
   • Access revoked (optional setting)
   • Email sent to customer
   • Analytics updated
   • Stripe fee partially refunded

Partial refunds

When to use:

• Customer used part of service
• Negotiated resolution
• Goodwill gesture

How to calculate:

Partial amount = Total × (Days remaining / Total days)
Example: €100 × (20/30) = €66.67 refund

Refund not appearing for customer

Timeline expectations:

Provide this to customers:

• Refund confirmation number
• Expected timeline
• Bank statement descriptor
• Contact support if not received after timeline

🏦 Stripe Account Issues

Stripe account suspended

Common reasons:

1. Incomplete verification
2. High dispute rate (>1%)
3. Prohibited business type
4. Suspicious activity

Resolution steps:

1. Check email from Stripe for specifics
2. Log into Stripe Dashboard
3. Complete requested information
4. Provide supporting documents
5. Response within 24-48 hours

Payouts not arriving

Payout schedule check:

Stripe Dashboard > Balance > Payouts
Check: Schedule, Bank details, Pending payouts

Common issues:

• Bank account not verified
• Incorrect routing numbers
• Payout schedule set to manual
• Negative balance from disputes
• Country-specific delays

💱 Currency & Tax Issues

Multi-currency problems

Setup checklist:

• [ ] Enable multi-currency in Stripe
• [ ] Configure exchange rates
• [ ] Set settlement currency
• [ ] Update pricing display
• [ ] Test with VPN for different countries

Tax calculation errors

Fix tax configuration:

1. Enable Stripe Tax:

   Stripe Dashboard > Products > Tax
   Toggle "Automatic tax calculation"
   Add tax registrations

2. Configure in Selgora:

   Settings > Payments > Tax
   Enable "Use Stripe Tax"
   Map product tax codes
   Set default tax behavior

3. Test calculation:

   • Create test purchase
   • Use addresses from different regions
   • Verify tax amounts
   • Check invoice display

📊 Reporting & Reconciliation

Transaction reports not matching

Reconciliation process:

1. Export from both systems:

   • Selgora: Reports > Transactions > Export
   • Stripe: Reports > Download

2. Common discrepancies:

   • Timezone differences
   • Pending vs. completed
   • Refunds not synced
   • Test mode transactions

3. Fix sync issues:

   Settings > Integrations > Stripe
   Click "Full Reconciliation"
   Processes last 90 days

Missing transactions

Recovery process:

1. Check filters:

   • Date range includes transaction
   • Status filter shows all
   • No search terms active

2. Manual import:

   Payments > Import
   Upload Stripe CSV
   Map fields
   Resolve duplicates

🚨 Urgent Payment Issues

All payments suddenly failing

Emergency checklist:

1. Check Stripe status: status.stripe.com
2. Verify API keys: Settings > Integrations
3. Test mode check: Ensure using live keys
4. Rate limits: Check if hitting limits
5. Card testing attack: Enable CAPTCHA

Temporary workaround:

• Enable manual payments
• Accept bank transfers
• Provide payment links
• Use backup payment processor

Duplicate charges

Immediate actions:

1. Identify duplicates:

   • Check Stripe Dashboard
   • Verify amounts and times
   • Document charge IDs

2. Refund duplicates:

   • Keep original charge
   • Refund extras immediately
   • Email customer explanation

3. Prevent future occurrences:

   • Implement idempotency keys
   • Add double-click prevention
   • Set up duplicate detection

📝 Best Practices

Preventing payment issues

Daily checks (5 minutes):

• Failed payment report
• Webhook status
• Stripe notifications

Weekly tasks (15 minutes):

• Review dispute alerts
• Check payout schedule
• Update payment recovery emails

Monthly maintenance (30 minutes):

• Reconcile transactions
• Clean up failed subscriptions
• Review payment success rates
• Update tax settings

Customer communication templates

Payment failure notice:

Subject: Action needed: Payment update required

Hi [Name],

Your recent payment of [amount] couldn't be processed. 

Common reasons:
• Expired card
• Insufficient funds
• Bank security check

Fix it in 2 minutes:
[Update Payment Button]

Your access continues immediately after updating.

Questions? Reply to this email.

Best,
[Your name]

Successful retry notice:

Subject: ✓ Payment successful - Thank you!

Hi [Name],

Good news! Your payment has been processed successfully.

Amount: [amount]
Next billing: [date]

No action needed - your access continues uninterrupted.

Best,
[Your name]

🆘 Need More Help?

For payment emergencies:

• Email: payments@selgora.com
• Priority: SCALE+ plans get 2-hour response
• Include: Transaction ID, error messages, screenshots

Stripe support:

• Dashboard: support.stripe.com
• Phone: Available for urgent issues
• Chat: 24/7 for technical problems

Remember: Payment issues are stressful for customers. Respond quickly, be understanding, and provide clear solutions!