What to Do When a Payment Fails

If a dues payment fails, Fourplex will notify you by email and show an alert on your Payments page. Most failures are straightforward to fix — usually it means updating your payment method or retrying after a short wait.

Why payments fail

Failure reason	What it means	What to do
Card declined	Your bank declined the charge for an unspecified reason	Try a different card or contact your bank
Insufficient funds	Not enough balance on the card or account	Use a different payment method or add funds
Card expired	Your card's expiry date has passed	Update your payment method with a current card
Bank verification required	Your bank requires extra authentication for this charge	Retry the payment and complete the verification step your bank presents
Processing error	A temporary issue on Stripe's side	Wait a few minutes and try again
Incorrect CVC	The security code entered didn't match	Update your payment method and re-enter the CVC carefully
Card reported lost or stolen	Your bank flagged this card as lost or stolen	Update your payment method with a different card
Generic decline	Your bank declined without a specific reason	Try a different card or contact your bank

Why did my payment fail?

When a dues payment fails, you'll receive an email from Fourplex that includes a "Why this happened" section. This section explains the specific reason in plain language — for example:

• "Your card has expired. Please update your payment method with a current card."
• "Your bank returned this payment as insufficient funds."
• "Your bank requires additional verification for this charge."

If you didn't receive the email or want a reminder, check your spam folder or log in to the portal. The failed invoice will have a notice explaining the status.

The table below maps common failure reasons to next steps:

What happens after a failure

Autopay failures

When an autopay charge fails, Stripe automatically retries on a smart schedule — typically 3 retries over 7 days. You'll receive an email each time a retry is attempted, including the date of the next retry.

If all retries are exhausted without a successful charge, your autopay remains active but the invoice is marked as failed. You'll receive a final email asking you to pay manually. Your board is also notified.

One-time payment failures

If a manual payment fails, no retry happens automatically. Go to Portal → Payments, fix the underlying issue (update your card or bank details if needed), then use the Pay now button on the failed invoice.

How to resolve a failed payment

1. Go to Portal → Payments.
2. You'll see a notice on the failed invoice. Click Pay now to retry.
3. If your payment method is the problem (expired, declined, lost/stolen) and you are enrolled in autopay, click Manage autopay → Update payment method to switch to a new one. Then use Pay now to retry the outstanding invoice.
4. If you are not enrolled in autopay, enter a new card or bank account directly in the Pay now flow.

If you see a Bank verification required message, click through the prompt — your bank may show a one-time code or push notification to approve the charge.

Notifying your board

Your board receives an email when a payment fails and again when retries are exhausted. You don't need to contact them separately unless you want to discuss a payment arrangement. If you believe a failure was an error (for example, your bank can confirm the charge should have gone through), let your board know so they have context.

Common questions

I updated my payment method. Will Stripe automatically retry?

Updating your payment method doesn't trigger an automatic retry. After updating, go to Portal → Payments and use the Pay now button on the failed invoice to initiate the charge with your new method.

My card works for other purchases. Why is it being declined here?

Banks sometimes decline recurring or unfamiliar charges even when your card has funds. Contacting your bank to approve the transaction category often resolves this. Alternatively, adding your card as ACH avoids this issue entirely.

The failure notice disappeared from my Payments page. Was it resolved?

If the notice is gone and you see a "Paid" status on the invoice, the payment succeeded (either through a retry or a manual payment). If the invoice just shows as "Open," the notice may have been dismissed temporarily — check your email for the most recent status.

How long do I have before a failed payment affects my account status?

Fourplex doesn't automatically suspend portal access for failed payments. Your board determines how to handle overdue accounts — check with them if you're concerned.