Failed Payments and Access Changes
After the grace period, the membership changes to Ended and PayBru removes access, including linked Discord roles where they apply.
Sometimes a recurring renewal does not go through. This page explains exactly what happens next and how you can recover access.
Journey in This Video
- What the video shows: review My Payments, check membership status, and find where to update a payment method without showing card details.
- Who it is for: members whose renewal failed or creators explaining what Past Due means.
- Where to start: open My Activity > My Payments, then check My Activity > My Memberships.
- What to do next: update the saved card under Resources > My Profile > Payments and retry from My Memberships during the grace period.
Why Payments Fail
The most common reasons a renewal fails are:
- Insufficient funds in the bank account linked to the card.
- Expired card or new card number not yet updated on PayBru.
- Bank declines — for example, online or recurring payments turned off, a daily limit reached, or fraud rules blocking the charge.
- 3D Secure / OTP issues if your bank requires extra approval on each charge.
- Technical issues at Paystack or your bank.
What Happens When a Renewal Fails
When PayBru tries to renew your membership and the card is declined:
- Your membership status changes to Past Due.
- PayBru sends a payment-failed notice straight away (email and in-app), with a link to update your payment method.
- You keep access during a 6-day grace period so you have time to fix the problem.
- If the payment is not resolved within those 6 days, your membership changes to Ended and access is removed.
PayBru does not automatically retry the same failed renewal. You need to update your card and trigger a retry, or wait for the next billing cycle on a new subscription.
Reminders During the Grace Period
PayBru sends escalating reminders so you don't miss the deadline. The typical schedule after a failed renewal:
| When | Reminder |
|---|---|
| Day 0 | Initial "payment failed" notice with a link to update your card |
| Day 1 | "Your payment is still failing" reminder |
| Day 3 | Urgent reminder — access ends soon |
| Day 5 | Final reminder — access ends the next day if unresolved |
| Day 6 | Membership moves to Ended and access is revoked |
Reminders are sent through both in-app notifications and email.
How to Recover
- Open the Client Portal and go to Resources > My Profile > Payments.
- Update or replace your saved card. Make sure the card supports online and recurring payments at your bank.
- From My Activity > My Memberships, open the affected membership and retry the payment.
If the retry succeeds, your membership returns to Active, your billing date is restored, and a receipt is issued for the renewal.
If you'd rather not continue, you can simply let the grace period lapse — no further charges will be attempted.
What Happens If Access Ends
If your membership goes from Past Due to Ended:
- You lose access to that creator's gated posts, videos, downloads, and member-only events.
- Any Discord roles tied to that tier are removed automatically when Discord is connected to your account. See Common Discord Sync Issues.
- You are not charged again — your card is not held or surprise-billed.
- You can re-subscribe at any time. Your original tier may not be available if the creator has changed their tier line-up.
Membership Status Reference
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Active | Renewal succeeded; full access until next billing date |
| Past Due | Renewal failed; access continues during the 6-day grace period while reminders are sent |
| Canceled | You cancelled the subscription; access continues until the end of the paid period |
| Ended | Grace period lapsed or paid period reached its end; access removed |
| Gifted (Pending) | A gift is waiting for the recipient to accept it — see Gifting Memberships |