Overview
Failed payments happen when Stripe cannot complete a payment attempt. This can be caused by declined cards, expired cards, insufficient funds, authentication failures, or payment method problems.
Requirements
- Stripe webhooks configured.
- A PayPress payment or subscription attempt.
- Access to PayPress Orders, Subscriptions, and Diagnostics.
Steps
- Review the customer-facing error in Stripe Checkout.
- Open PayPress Orders to see whether an order was created.
- Check Diagnostics and Event Timeline for failed payment events.
- For subscriptions, review the related invoice or subscription status.
- Ask the customer to try a different payment method if needed.
Expected Result
Failed payment attempts may appear in diagnostics and analytics. A successful order is not created unless Stripe confirms payment or an invoice/order state requires local tracking.
Important Notes
Stripe is responsible for approving or declining payment methods. PayPress records the results it receives from Stripe. Failed subscription renewals may require retrying invoice collection or updating the customer payment method.
Troubleshooting
If a customer says payment failed but you cannot find it in WordPress, check Stripe first and then PayPress Diagnostics. If a subscription renewal fails, review Failed Renewal Payments and Retry Payment. If failures are not visible in analytics, confirm the date range and Stripe mode.