Ensuring smooth payment processing is essential when using PushPress. This guide outlines common causes of payment issues, troubleshooting steps, and best practices for successful transactions.
Payment errors may manifest in the following ways:
Payment failed warnings on the dashboard.
Transaction errors linked to ACH payments.
Payments marked as "failed" in Stripe despite appearing deducted from a member’s account.
Account holds due to declined payments.
Step 1
Verify Credit Card data is correct. Its often easiest to remove the current card on file and add a new one. (can be the same one or different)
Additionally, check your bank statement to confirm if the payment was successfully processed. If your dashboard still displays a failed warning but the charge went through, monitor the issue and report it to PushPress if it persists.
Additionally, if the current card faces repeated issues, consider assigning a new card to the plan or manually updating the payment details to address potential issues.
Step 2
Open invoice and scroll to the bottom to view transaction details. There are several reasons for a failed transaction. Insufficient funds, incorrect card number, wrong zip code or cvc. If information is incorrect, reenter the payment information with the correct information.
To identify the specific reason for failure:
Navigate to the member’s profile in PushPress.
Open the failed invoice and click it to view the specific failure reason like insufficient funds or card decline.
Additional reasons could include bank restrictions, unsupported payment methods, or outdated billing information. Confirm these details to avoid potential errors.
Step 3
If that still doesn't solve the problem, get the member to ask their bank why the charge was declined. Banks typically don't provide much more data than a generic decline to Stripe so not a lot we can do on our end without this additional information unfortunately. Encourage the member to verify with their bank if the refusal is due to large payment amounts, recurring transactions, or any flagged issues specific to their account. For ACH payment errors, such as a "currently charging" error after verifying bank details, ensure the invoice isn't locked. Use the "unlock" option on the invoice and attempt processing the transaction again.
Payments Marked Failed in Stripe
When a payment is marked as "failed" in Stripe but funds seem withdrawn, the transaction likely did not complete. Banks may show temporary pending withdrawals that will eventually reverse.
Account on Hold
If your account is placed on hold after a payment fails due to issues like an expired card, update your payment method (e.g., card number, expiration date, CVV, billing address) in the billing settings. Attempt the payment again or use an alternative payment method if required.
Step 4: Verify Payments
Check payments by visiting the member's profile page under transactions or using the day's transaction report in the payments menu.
Step 5: Managing Transaction Discrepancies and Fees
Understand processing fees and refunds – fees are subtracted from payments before funds are deposited, and refunds do not recover these fees, which can create discrepancies.
Additionally, if a payment failure occurs but funds appear withdrawn, rest assured that the money will eventually return if temporarily held by the bank.
Conclusion: Best Practices
Ensure user-provided billing details match bank records, communicate clearly with members about issues, and regularly monitor transactions for preemptive issue resolution.
If issues persist despite following these steps, contact the PushPress support team with detailed information, including affected invoice details and error types.