¶ Failed Payments and How to Handle Them
A payment can fail for various reasons.
Common causes include:
- Insufficient account balance
- Incorrect or expired card details
- Incorrect CVC number
- Online payment blocked by your bank
- Unconfirmed release in your banking app
- Unstable internet connection during payment
- Insecure or public Wi-Fi connection
- Interrupted redirect to the bank
- Security check by Stripe
- Blocking by Stripe Radar for suspicious payments
Check these points yourself before attempting a new payment.
flowchart TD
A[Payment declined] --> B[Check account balance]
B --> C[Check card details]
C --> D[Check bank release]
D --> E[Check internet connection]
E --> F[Retry payment]
Before attempting a new payment, check:
- Is my account sufficiently funded?
- Are the card number, expiry date, and CVC correct?
- Is my card still valid?
- Is online payment enabled with my bank?
- Have I confirmed the payment in my banking app?
- Am I using a stable internet connection?
- Am I using a secure connection?
- Was the redirect to the bank fully completed?
Only retry the payment once these points have been checked.
The most secure and cost-effective payment method is generally SEPA direct debit.
SEPA direct debit is beneficial because:
- No card details expire
- No CVC input is required
- Fewer card payments fail
- The payment is processed directly via your bank account
- Fewer unnecessary payment fees are incurred
- More of the contribution remains in the TEIKEI system
If possible, use SEPA direct debit as your preferred payment method.
flowchart LR
A[Select payment method] --> B{Available?}
B -->|SEPA available| C[Use SEPA direct debit]
B -->|Card only| D[Carefully check card details]
Card payments can fail more easily because multiple checks occur simultaneously.
These include:
- Card details
- Card limit
- CVC
- Expiry date
- Bank release
- 3D-Secure
- Banking app
- Security check by Stripe
If any of these steps do not work, the payment will be declined.
Stripe Radar is a security system by Stripe.
It automatically checks payments for potential irregularities.
If a payment appears unusual, it may be blocked.
This protects against fraud but can also result in a legitimate payment being declined.
If this happens, use SEPA direct debit or another payment method if possible.
Follow these steps in order:
- Check your account balance.
- Verify payment details.
- Check bank release.
- Use a stable and secure internet connection.
- Retry the payment.
- If card payment continues to fail: Use SEPA direct debit.
flowchart TD
A[Payment fails again] --> B[Check account balance]
B --> C[Check payment details]
C --> D[Check bank release]
D --> E[Use stable connection]
E --> F{Card payment working?}
F -->|Yes| G[Payment completed]
F -->|No| H[Use SEPA direct debit]
An order is only finalized once the payment has been successfully processed.
If the payment is pending or failed, the order will not be scheduled as binding.
If the payment is not completed by the deadline, the order will not count toward the current delivery.
Only contact support after you have checked the following yourself:
- Account balance
- Payment details
- Bank release
- Internet connection
- Payment method
- Payment status in the login area
When you write, always include:
- Your name
- Your account email
- The payment method used
- The error message displayed
- What you have already checked
A screenshot of the error message helps.
Failed payments are usually due to payment details, bank release, account balance, connection, or security checks.
Check these points yourself.
Use SEPA direct debit whenever possible.
An order only counts once the payment has been successfully completed.
Back to overview: Order & Order Process
Author: Felix Schröder, with assistance from AI (ChatGPT)
Creation: written by Felix Schröder › formatted in Markdown by ChatGPT › published by Felix Schröder › layout adjusted by Claude
Created: 2025-03-19 · Last updated: 2026-05-20