Payment retry: Rebill
Key points
When the renewal payment of a subscription is declined, Ciklik retries it automatically: 4 attempts by default, 3 days apart, before closing the order. The delay and the number of attempts are set in Settings > Sites, Marketing Parameters tab, Payment retry: days between two attempts field, with a fixed value or a sequence such as 1:3;2:4;3:8. After each failure, the subscriber receives a payment declined email with a link to pay for their order and complete 3D Secure verification. These rules are the same for box stores and for PrestaShop stores using the Ciklik module.
Configuration
Section titled “Configuration”Set the Number of Days for a New Payment Attempt
Section titled “Set the Number of Days for a New Payment Attempt”You can define the number of days after which a new payment attempt will be made, starting from the day the transaction failed.
This setting is configured in Settings > Sites, by editing the site, from the “Marketing Parameters” tab, in the Payment retry: days between two attempts field (3 by default).
In the example of a rebilling on the 1st of the month for a monthly subscription, where we set 3 days for the number of days to trigger the new payment attempt, we have:
- transaction on the 1st of the month failed = next payment (payment attempt) on the 4th (the 1st is the date when the transaction failure was recorded, to which we add 3 days to define the date of the next attempt)
- transaction on the 4th failed = next payment on the 7th
- transaction on the 7th failed = next payment on the 10th
- transaction on the 10th failed = order closed
There can be up to 4 payment attempts for an order before it is closed.
If a subscriber reactivates their subscription and the transaction fails, the order is closed and the next payment attempt will occur in the next billing period, which in our example is the 1st of the month, during the rebill. If the first attempt fails, there will be 3 more possible attempts before closing the order.
Customize Payment Declined Email Content
Section titled “Customize Payment Declined Email Content”Each time a payment fails during subscription renewal, the subscriber receives an email informing them of the payment decline. You can customize the content of these emails in Content > Email Templates, for the templates of type:
- 1st Rebill Failure (named “Paiement refusé (1)” by default)
- 2nd Rebill Failure (“Paiement refusé (2)”)
- 3rd Rebill Failure (“Paiement refusé (3)”)
- Last Rebill Failure (“Paiement refusé (4)”)
Customize the Number of Payment Attempts and Days Between Each Attempt
Section titled “Customize the Number of Payment Attempts and Days Between Each Attempt”By default, there are 4 payment attempts during subscription renewal. It is possible to configure more or fewer attempts by entering a sequence and the number of days between each attempt instead of a fixed value in the Payment retry: days between two attempts field in the Marketing Parameters tab of the site.
You specify the attempt number followed by the number of days between each attempt, separated by: each sequence is separated by a ;
Example sequences:
-
1:3;2:4;3:8: This means there are 4 attempts, a first attempt, the second 3 days later, the third 4 days later, and the fourth 8 days later. On the 4th attempt, the order fails and is permanently closed. -
1:2;2:4: This means there are 3 payment attempts, spaced 2 then 4 days apart. On the 3rd attempt, the order fails and is permanently closed. -
1:3;2:3;3:3;4:3: This means there are 5 payment attempts spaced 3 days apart. On the 5th attempt, the order fails and is permanently closed.
In cases where there are more than 4 payment attempts, the automatic Paiement refusé (4) email (type “Last Rebill Failure”) will be sent for all attempts from the 4th onwards.
Frequently asked questions
How many times does Ciklik retry a declined subscription payment?
By default, Ciklik makes 4 payment attempts in total, 3 days apart: for example on the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th of the month. If the last attempt fails, the order is closed.
How do I change the number of attempts and the delay between them?
In Settings > Sites, Marketing Parameters tab, fill in the Payment retry: days between two attempts field. A single number sets the delay for 4 attempts; a sequence such as 1:3;2:4;3:8 sets the delay after each failure, and the number of attempts equals the number of steps plus one.
Which emails does the subscriber receive when their payment is declined?
They receive one email per failure: Paiement refusé (1), (2), (3) then (4), which you can customize in Content > Email Templates. Beyond 4 attempts, the Paiement refusé (4) template is reused. A disabled template is not sent.
Is the subscription cancelled when the order is closed?
No. Closing applies to the unpaid order: the subscription stays active and will be charged again on the next billing date. Cancelling subscriptions left unpaid for several cycles is a separate option, disabled by default.
How can the subscriber pay for a failed order?
They can pay with the link in the payment declined email, or change their payment method from their account: their pending subscription orders are then charged again right away.