Payment Failures — FAQ & Troubleshooting Guide

# 💳 Payment Failures — FAQ & Troubleshooting Guide**For:** WithMigo KB (Intercom AI Assistant) **Drafted by:** Jenny, Head of Customer Success **Date:** 17 March 2026 **Task:** [KB FAQs for Custom Domain & Payment Failures](https://app.clickup.com/t/869cgc9qk) **Status:** Ready for Kausar to add to WithMigo KB---## OverviewPayment failures are a top support topic — both for **creators setting up Stripe** and **members experiencing failed charges**. This FAQ gives WithMigo the detail it needs to resolve these without human escalation in the majority of cases.**Root causes currently being fixed by engineering (Gaurav's P0–P2 tasks)** — this article serves as interim support until those fixes are live.---## SECTION A — Creator Payment Setup Issues### ❓ FAQ 1: I'm trying to connect Stripe but it's not working — what do I do?**Step-by-step Stripe connection guide:**1. Go to **Dashboard → Settings → Payments → Connect Stripe** 2. You'll be redirected to Stripe's setup page 3. Choose **"Create a new Stripe account"** or **"Use an existing Stripe account"** 4. Complete Stripe's verification — you'll need: - Business or personal name - Bank account details (for payouts) - Phone number for 2FA - Identity verification (photo ID may be required) 5. Once complete, you'll be returned to WithMe and Stripe will show as **Connected****If the connection fails or you get stuck:** - Try a different browser (Chrome or Firefox work best) - Disable browser extensions/ad blockers - Make sure you're not in private/incognito mode (Stripe uses cookies) - Clear your cache and retry - Contact support if the issue persists — include a screenshot of the error---### ❓ FAQ 2: My country shows as wrong (e.g. UK instead of US) — how do I fix this?This can happen if your IP address is detected as being from a different country.**Fix:** 1. Log out of WithMe completely 2. Clear your browser cookies/cache 3. Log back in and retry Stripe setup 4. If the wrong country is still selected, **contact support** and we'll manually update your country setting — this usually resolves within 1 business day**Why it matters:** Your Stripe country determines your payout currency. Getting this right is important before you start selling.---### ❓ FAQ 3: How long does it take to receive my first payout from Stripe?Stripe's default payout schedule:- **First payout:** 7–14 days after your first successful sale (Stripe holds this as part of their risk verification process) - **Ongoing payouts:** Every 2–7 days depending on your Stripe account settings - **Minimum payout amount:** £1 / $1 (smaller amounts accumulate until they hit the threshold)**To check your payout status:** 1. Log in to your Stripe dashboard at [dashboard.stripe.com](https://dashboard.stripe.com) 2. Go to **Payouts** → see your upcoming and past payouts 3. If a payout is marked "In Transit" — it's on its way and should arrive within 2–3 business days**If you haven't received a payout after 14 days of your first sale:** Contact Stripe support directly (they own payouts), or contact WithMe support and we'll help investigate.---### ❓ FAQ 4: A member tried to purchase but got a payment error — what happened?Common reasons a member's purchase fails:| Error type | Likely cause | What to tell them | |------------|-------------|-------------------| | "Card declined" | Insufficient funds, bank block, or 3D Secure issue | Try a different card or contact their bank | | "Do not honour" | Bank blocked the charge | Ask member to call their bank and approve the charge, then retry | | "Insufficient funds" | Self-explanatory | Different card needed | | "Authentication required" | 3D Secure challenge wasn't completed | Retry and complete the bank verification step | | "Invalid card number" | Typo in card entry | Re-enter card details |**If the member is still stuck after retrying:** Ask them to try: 1. A different browser 2. A different payment method (PayPal, Apple Pay, different card) 3. Contact their bank to approve international/online charges---### ❓ FAQ 5: How do I issue a refund to a member?Refunds are processed through Stripe, not directly through WithMe.**To issue a refund:** 1. Log in to [dashboard.stripe.com](https://dashboard.stripe.com) 2. Go to **Payments** → find the relevant payment 3. Click the payment → click **Refund** 4. Choose full or partial refund amount → confirm**Refund timeline:** Refunds typically appear on the customer's statement within **5–10 business days** depending on their bank.**WithMe's refund policy:** We process refund requests on a case-by-case basis. Contact support with the customer's email and reason — we'll review and advise.---## SECTION B — Member Payment Failure Issues### ❓ FAQ 6: I was charged but can't access the content I paid for — what do I do?**First, check these common causes:**1. **Account mismatch:** Did you sign up with a different email than the one you paid with? Log in with the email used for payment. 2. **Processing delay:** Stripe occasionally takes 5–15 minutes to confirm payment and grant access. Wait and refresh. 3. **Browser cache:** Log out, clear cache, log back in.**If none of the above work:** - Contact support with your email address and payment confirmation (screenshot or email receipt) - We'll manually verify and grant access within a few hours---### ❓ FAQ 7: My subscription payment failed — will I lose access?**Yes, but there's a grace period:**- Failed payments trigger an automatic retry (Stripe retries 3 times over 7 days) - You'll receive email notifications about the failure - Access is maintained during the retry period - If all retries fail, access is paused until payment is resolved**To fix a failed payment:** 1. Log in to your WithMe account 2. Go to **Settings → Billing → Update Payment Method** 3. Add a new card or update your existing card details 4. Stripe will retry automatically after you update**If you've already lost access:** Contact support with your email — once payment is confirmed we'll restore access immediately.---### ❓ FAQ 8: I see a charge from WithMe but I don't recognise it — is this fraud?WithMe charges appear on statements as **"WithMe"** or **"Stripe"** depending on your bank.**To identify the charge:** 1. Check your email for a receipt from support@withme.com or no-reply@withme.com 2. Log in to your WithMe account and check **Settings → Billing** for your subscription history 3. If you have no account or don't recognise the charge at all — contact support@withme.com immediately with your card's last 4 digits and charge amountWe take fraud reports seriously and will investigate and refund within 24 hours if the charge is confirmed as an error.---### ❓ FAQ 9: How do I cancel my subscription to stop future charges?**Self-serve cancellation:** 1. Log in → **Settings → Billing → Manage Subscription → Cancel** 2. Confirm cancellation — you'll receive an email confirmation**If the cancel button only shows a plan change option:** - Contact support directly via chat or email - We'll process the cancellation manually within 1 business day**When does billing stop?** Immediately on cancellation — you won't be charged again. You retain access until the end of your current billing period.---## 🔗 Related Articles- [💳 How to Connect Stripe and Start Selling](https://help.withme.so/en/articles/stripe-setup) - [❌ Cancel or Pause Your WithMe Subscription](https://help.withme.so/en/articles/cancel-subscription) - [💰 Understanding Your WithMe Billing](https://help.withme.so/en/articles/billing-overview)---## 📊 Usage Notes for Kausar (When Adding to WithMigo)**Common triggers for this article:** - "payment failed", "can't pay", "stripe error", "card declined", "I was charged but can't access", "refund", "cancel subscription", "payout", "receive money", "stripe connect"**What WithMigo should do:** - Section A (creator setup) → walk through FAQ 1–5 based on whether they're a creator or member - Section B (member issues) → FAQ 6–9 - Always collect email address before troubleshooting so we can look up the account**Escalate to human if:** - Possible fraud/unauthorised charge reported - Creator payout missing for 14+ days - Member lost access after confirmed payment - Stripe shows an unusual error code not covered here---*Drafted: 17 March 2026 | Jenny, Head of CS — WithMe*