Overview
This article outlines best practices for staying on top of failed payments in CORE — with daily or weekly follow-up routines, automation options, and actionable reminders to ensure your business collects what it's owed.
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Prerequisites
- Admin access to CORE
- Active client memberships
- Payment gateway set up (e.g. Stripe, Ezidebit)
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Check failed payments daily or weekly
- Go to Payments > Retail Dashboard.
- Click on Failed Payments.
- Review all failed transactions including:
- Client name and contact
- Amount due
- Failure reason (e.g. insufficient funds, card expired, payment method not found)
- Number of retry attempts
Tip: This should be a daily or weekly task to prevent outstanding invoices from piling up.
Step 2: Configure retry settings
- Go to Payments > Retail Configurations > Retail Settings.
- Scroll to Retry Failed Payments.
- Click the Pencil Icon and update:
- Retry Interval (e.g. 2 days)
- Number of Attempts (e.g. 5 retries)
- Click Save Changes.
Example: A failed payment on Monday will retry Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, etc., until it succeeds or reaches the attempt limit.
Step 3: Follow-up actions
Use the icons on the Failed Payments page to take action:
- Update Card: Click the orange card icon to update credit or bank details.
- Retry Payment: Use after payment method has been updated.
- Send Email Reminder: Sends automated reminder to client.
- Cancel Invoice: ⚠️ Do not cancel unless absolutely necessary — your business will absorb the cost.
Tip: Create a follow-up rule:
- 1st attempt: Send email reminder
- 2nd/3rd attempt: Call client directly
Step 4: Reaching out to clients
- Identify the client in the list (e.g. Barry).
- Pick up the phone or send a manual reminder.
- Offer them two options:
- Update payment details in the app
- Provide details over the phone for manual entry
- Once updated, retry the payment.
Tip: Always log client communication to keep team members aligned.
Reason for payment failure when sufficient funds are available
Please Note: a client's failed payment fees are beyond Hapana, EZYPay or other gateway control.
If it appears that there are sufficient funds in the client’s account, the following reasons may still result in a failed payment:
- The client has pending transactions that are yet to be processed.
- The client has exceeded their daily debit limit.
- The client deposited funds after the payment attempt (usually triggered at the start of the business day).
- The client’s bank account has a minimum balance requirement — funds must remain above this limit after the deduction.
Recommendations to help improve this:
- Set the client’s payment cycle to the day after their payday.
- For insufficient funds: Advise the member to contact their bank for clarity on the rejected debit despite apparent available funds.
Expected outcome
By checking failed payments regularly and taking proactive follow-up steps, your business stays cashflow-positive and avoids large backlogs of unpaid invoices.
FAQs
Q: What if a client disputes a failed payment months later?
A: That’s why daily or weekly follow-up is critical. Don’t let failures sit for months.
Q: Can I automate retries?
A: Yes — configure retry intervals and limits under Retail Settings.
Q: Should I ever cancel a failed invoice?
A: No — it means your business absorbs the fees and forfeits the payment.
Still need help?
Reach out to our support team via [email protected]