What to Do When a Payment Fails

If a dues payment fails, Fourplex will notify you by email and show an alert on your Payments page. Most failures are straightforward to fix — usually it means updating your payment method or retrying after a short wait.

Why payments fail

Failure reason	What it means	What to do
Card declined	Your bank declined the charge for an unspecified reason	Try a different card or contact your bank
Insufficient funds	Not enough balance on the card or account	Use a different payment method or add funds
Card expired	Your card's expiry date has passed	Update your payment method with a current card
Bank verification required	Your bank requires extra authentication for this charge	Retry the payment and complete the verification step your bank presents
Processing error	A temporary issue on Stripe's side	Wait a few minutes and try again
Incorrect CVC	The security code entered didn't match	Update your payment method and re-enter the CVC carefully
Card reported lost or stolen	Your bank flagged this card as lost or stolen	Update your payment method with a different card
Generic decline	Your bank declined without a specific reason	Try a different card or contact your bank

Why did my payment fail?

When a dues payment fails, you'll receive an email from Fourplex that includes a "Why this happened" section. This section explains the specific reason in plain language — for example:

• "Your card has expired. Please update your payment method with a current card."
• "Your bank returned this payment as insufficient funds."
• "Your bank requires additional verification for this charge."

If you didn't receive the email or want a reminder, check your spam folder or log in to the portal. The failed invoice will have a notice explaining the status.

The table below maps common failure reasons to next steps:

What happens after a failure

Autopay failures

When an autopay dues charge can't be collected, the invoice is marked as failed and you'll receive an email asking you to pay manually. No further automatic attempt is made for that payment, so use Pay now in Portal → Payments. Your autopay remains active for future bills, and your board is notified.

Some communities on older billing still have the payment processor retry a failed autopay charge on its own schedule. In that case, each failure email shows the date of the next retry, and the final email arrives only after the last attempt.

Trash authentication requests

A Trash payment that requires card authentication remains unpaid while you complete the requested verification. Fourplex keeps that Trash autopay authorization enabled and sends a reauthentication notice. This differs from a confirmed card decline, which disables that Trash authorization. The original payment remains processing and unpaid while authentication is unfinished. Any adjustment included on that invoice stays attached to it. Successful verification can settle that same invoice; an authentication request alone does not produce a payment receipt.

Assessment payments that need card verification

If your card needs extra verification (3D Secure) to pay a one-time assessment, online payment can't complete that step yet. The payment shows as failed with the reason to pay again with a different card or a bank account, the assessment shows as owed again, and you and your board get the usual failure email. Pay it again from your Payments page with another card or a bank account. Your card is never charged for the failed attempt.

Dues payments that need card verification

If your card needs extra verification (3D Secure) to pay a dues bill, online payment can't complete that step yet. The payment shows as failed with the reason to pay again with a different card or a bank account, the bill stays owed, and you and your board get the usual failure email. Pay the same bill again from your Payments page with another card or a bank account, or pay your board by check. Your card is never charged for the failed attempt.

One-time payment failures

If a manual payment fails, no retry happens automatically. You receive an immediate failure email, and if that charge is still unpaid after three days, one follow-up email. This is true even for a dues bill you pay by hand while autopay is off: you get the payment failed email, not an autopay notice. If you pay the same bill again and it fails again, you get another failure email. Go to Portal → Payments, fix the underlying issue (update your card or bank details if needed), then use the Pay now button on the failed invoice.

How to resolve a failed payment

1. Go to Portal → Payments.
2. You'll see a notice on the failed invoice. Click Pay now to retry.
3. If your payment method is the problem (expired, declined, lost/stolen) and you are enrolled in autopay, click Manage autopay → Update payment method to switch to a new one. Then use Pay now to retry the outstanding invoice.
4. If you are not enrolled in autopay, enter a new card or bank account directly in the Pay now flow.

If you see a Bank verification required message, click through the prompt — your bank may show a one-time code or push notification to approve the charge.

Notifying your board

Your board receives an alert when a one-time payment fails, and a daily summary of autopay payments that couldn't be collected. You don't need to contact them separately unless you want to discuss a payment arrangement. If you believe a failure was an error (for example, your bank can confirm the charge should have gone through), let your board know so they have context.

Common questions

I updated my payment method. Will Stripe automatically retry?

Updating your payment method doesn't trigger an automatic retry. After updating, go to Portal → Payments and use the Pay now button on the failed invoice to initiate the charge with your new method.

My card works for other purchases. Why is it being declined here?

Banks sometimes decline recurring or unfamiliar charges even when your card has funds. Contacting your bank to approve the transaction category often resolves this. Alternatively, adding your card as ACH avoids this issue entirely.

The failure notice disappeared from my Payments page. Was it resolved?

If the notice is gone and you see a "Paid" status on the invoice, the payment succeeded (either through a retry or a manual payment). If the invoice just shows as "Open," the notice may have been dismissed temporarily — check your email for the most recent status.

How long do I have before a failed payment affects my account status?

Fourplex doesn't automatically suspend portal access for failed payments. Your board determines how to handle overdue accounts — check with them if you're concerned.

What if a bank returns a payment after it succeeded?

A bank can return an ACH payment after it initially succeeded. When a full bank return is confirmed, the payment shows as failed. For dues, the original dues principal becomes outstanding again. For a one-time assessment or a trash bill paid on its own (not in the same payment as dues or a late fee), the bill shows as payment failed and you can pay it again from your Payments page; trash autopay does not retry a returned bill on its own. An earlier receipt records the original payment; it does not guarantee that the bank cannot later return it. Contact your board and bank to arrange resolution. Fourplex does not automatically debit the returned original invoice again.

What if my board refunds a payment?

If your board refunds a dues, one-time assessment or trash payment in full, the payment usually shows as Refunded in your payment history and that bill is owed again. You can pay it again with Pay now on that payment or from your Payments page; trash autopay does not retry a refunded bill on its own. Some refunds are not matched automatically: a partial refund, a payment that also covered a late fee, or a refund whose amount does not match the payment. Fourplex leaves those payments as they were. If a refund doesn't show up, you think it was a mistake, or only part of a payment was refunded, contact your board.