My supporter is having trouble with their subscription
If a supporter is having issues with their monthly donation or membership like a failed payment, an unexpected cancellation, or trouble updating their card, this guide explains what could be going on and what they can do next.
You’re welcome to share this article with them directly or link to it in your membership terms. It includes step-by-step guidance that could save time for both of you.
Failed membership payment
When a supporter’s payment fails, it’s usually due to issues with their card, PayPal account, or bank. If a payment fails, Ko-fi will automatically retry it a few times before the subscription is canceled.
Supporters will see a "Overdue" label in their Account & Billing, like this:
Ko-fi will automatically retry failed payments several times before canceling a subscription. If the payment keeps failing, the subscription will be canceled.
If their payment isn’t going through, they can try these steps:
Checking card or payment method
- Balance: Their PayPal or bank account may not have enough funds.
- Expired card: They’ll need to update their card if it’s expired.
- Bank restrictions: Some banks block recurring payments. Have them check with their bank or PayPal to see if they declined the charge.
- Payment processor issues: If they’re using PayPal, they can log in to check for restrictions. If using a card, they may need to contact their bank.
- Retry the charge: If everything looks okay, they can retry the payment manually or wait for the system to try again.
If they’re still having trouble, PayPal Support or their bank may have more details on why the payment isn’t going through. They can also reach out to us and we’ll be happy to take a look.
Updating a payment method
If a supporter needs to update their card or payment method, here’s how they can do it depending on how they originally paid:
PayPal subscriptions must be updated directly in PayPal.
- Log in to the PayPal account and go to your PayPal Settings.
- Go to Payments > Automatic Payments.
- Under the Active tab, choose the merchant. Any Ko-fi subscriptions will show up under "Ko-fi." Check the description to confirm the creator.
- Select the current payment method. Supporters can choose an existing payment method or link a new card or bank.
- Click Save.
The new payment method will be used for future payments.
For a full guide, check out PayPal’s help article here.
If they pay by card, they can update it directly on Ko-fi:
- Log in to the Ko-fi account linked to the membership.
- Go to Account & Billing. If they don't see their subscription, they can check out our help article here.
- Tap the three dots next to the subscription and select Update Card. Enter the new card details.
Once updated, future charges will be billed to their new card.
Retrying the payment
Subscriptions will automatically retry several times. If a supporter wants to retry the payment manually, some subscriptions allow them to do so from their Account & Billing.
If the payment goes through, they’ll see a confirmation pop-up. If it fails, they’ll see a message explaining why.
Note
Not all subscriptions support manual retry. If your supporter doesn’t see the option, don’t worry - the payment will retry automatically within a few days.
Canceling and restarting a subscription
If payments keep failing, supporters can cancel their membership and start a new one from your page.
Note
If your tier has limited slots and it’s currently full, the supporter won’t be able to rejoin until you add more slots. They may need to message you to open a slot.
To add a slot to a membership tier, go to your membership settings. Learn how to manage tier availability here.
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FAQ
Subscriptions can be canceled by either you or the supporter. If neither of you canceled it manually, it likely failed due to a payment issue.
Payments will retry a few times before the subscription is automatically canceled.
Note
Subscriptions can’t be reactivated once canceled. A supporter will need to start a new one if they’d like to continue supporting you.
If a supporter’s payment doesn’t go through, their subscription will remain active while Ko-fi retries the payment.
If the payments continue to fail and the subscription is canceled, they will lose access to supporter-only content.
By default, payments continue on the original card unless the supporter updates it. Supporters can follow the steps here to update their card.
If they’re still having issues, they can contact us and include:
- The creator’s Ko-fi page link
- The email linked to their subscription
- The last four digits of the correct card
Yes, if the tier still has slots available. If the tier is full, they may want to send you a direct message to ask about future availability.
You can update your membership slots available via your membership settings. Learn how to manage tier availability here.
Right now, supporters can’t switch between PayPal and card payments for an existing subscription. They would need to cancel their current subscription and start a new one using their preferred payment method.
If a supporter cancels after the auto-billing date, the current charge may still go through. Subscriptions renew every 30 days, so it's best to cancel at least 24 hours before the next billing cycle.