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Occasionally a renewal payment doesn't go through. Here's what happens, and how to get back in.

What happens if my payment fails?

1. We try to take your renewal payment. On your renewal date, payment is taken from the card you have saved.
2. The payment doesn't go through. This can happen if your card has expired, there isn't enough money in the account, or your bank declines it.
3. You keep your access for now. Your subscription shows as past due, but you and your child can carry on using BrainBuzz as normal.
4. You get an email called Action needed: your BrainBuzz payment didn't go through. It tells you when we'll next try to take the payment, if that date is available, and how to update your card.
5. We try again. Our payment provider, Stripe, automatically tries to take the payment again a few more times over the following days.

How do I fix it?

The quickest way is to update your card before the next attempt:

1. Sign in on the BrainBuzz website and open My Account.
2. Choose Subscriptions from the menu on the left, then Update payment method.
3. Add your new card and make sure it's marked Default.

When a payment goes through, your subscription goes back to Active straight away and nothing else changes. See Updating your payment method for step-by-step help.

If the payment still can't be taken

If every attempt fails, your subscription ends and you can no longer create or play tests. You'll get an email letting you know that your subscription has ended because the payment couldn't be taken.

Your account is kept. Your details and test history are safe. To come back, sign in and choose a plan from your dashboard – you'll enter your card on the secure payment page and your access starts again straight away. See Reinstating your subscription.

How can I avoid a failed payment?

If your card is about to expire, or you've been sent a new one, update it before your renewal date in My Account › Subscriptions › Update payment method.

Stripe only charges your default card, so make sure the right one is marked Default.