> ## Knowledge Base Index > Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.simplyprint.io/sitemap.xml > Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further. > Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash). # Subscription terminated after failed payments: how to recover your account # Subscription terminated after failed payments: how to recover your account If a renewal payment can't be collected, SimplyPrint doesn't shut your account off straight away. You get a **14-day grace period** to fix it while everything keeps working, and even if the grace period runs out, **nothing is deleted** - your account just moves to a locked state you can undo at any time. This guide explains exactly what happens at each stage and how to get your account back. ## Table of contents - [What "payment failed" means](#2-what-payment-failed-means) - [You have 14 days, and your account stays active](#2-you-have-14-days-and-your-account-stays-active) - [How to fix a failed payment](#2-how-to-fix-a-failed-payment) - [What happens if the grace period ends](#2-what-happens-if-the-grace-period-ends) - [How to reactivate a terminated account](#2-how-to-reactivate-a-terminated-account) - [Chargebacks and bank reversals](#2-chargebacks-and-bank-reversals) - [Frequently asked questions](#2-frequently-asked-questions) ## What "payment failed" means When your subscription renews, we charge the payment method on file. If that charge is declined, you'll see a **"Payment failed - action needed"** alert in three places in the panel: the top bar (a red calendar icon with a day counter), a banner, and on the **Settings > Subscription** page. The alert tells you, in plain English, **why** the charge failed - this comes straight from the reason your bank returned. The most common ones are: - The card on file has **expired** - **Insufficient funds** at the time of the charge - **Incorrect card details** (number, security code, or expiry) - Your **bank declined** the charge (often an automatic block on recurring or larger payments) - A direct-debit **mandate was cancelled** at your bank ## You have 14 days, and your account stays active From the first failed charge, you get a **14-day grace period**. Your account keeps working exactly as before during this whole window - no features are removed, no printers are touched. (This grace window was 5 days previously; it's now 14, because most recoveries were still arriving on day 4 and 5.) ### We retry automatically on a spaced schedule We attempt the charge again on **day 0, 1, 3, 5, 8, 11, and 14** after the first failure - seven attempts spread across the grace window, rather than once every day. Spacing them out matches how banks expect recurring charges to be retried and gives a temporary problem (like funds landing a day later) the best chance to clear on its own. When a retry is scheduled, the alert shows the exact date of the next attempt. ### Soft declines keep retrying, hard declines wait for a new method What we do during the grace window depends on the reason: - **Soft declines** (insufficient funds, a temporary processing error, a generic bank decline) might succeed later, so we keep retrying automatically on the schedule above. - **Hard declines** (expired card, wrong card details, lost/stolen card, cancelled mandate) can't succeed by retrying the same method, so we stop the automatic retries and ask you to add a new payment method. Your account still stays active for the full 14 days while you do. | Lots of "bank declined" failures clear with a quick message to your bank. Banks routinely auto-block recurring, larger, or cross-border charges. If the payment should have gone through, ask your bank to approve the charge - we see this fix a large share of failed payments. ### You'll also get a few reminder emails Alongside the in-app alerts, we send a short series of reminder emails over the grace period: a first heads-up when the payment fails, a couple of reminders, and a final notice near the end. Each one names the specific decline reason and links you straight to the fix. ## How to fix a failed payment Every option below is reachable from the **"Payment failed - action needed"** alert. You don't need to dig through settings. 1. **Retry payment now** - charges your current payment method immediately instead of waiting for the next scheduled retry. Use this once you've topped up funds or cleared a block with your bank. 2. **Update payment method** - opens **Settings > Subscription** so you can add a new card or wallet. Use this for an expired card, wrong details, or any hard decline. Once the new method is saved, hit **Retry payment now**. 3. **Try PayPal instead** - if your bank keeps declining the card, switching to PayPal often gets the charge through (a small PayPal surcharge applies). This option appears when you're not already paying with PayPal. 4. **Pay by invoice / bank transfer** - eligible business accounts can settle the renewal by invoice. The subscription still has to be paid; the invoice just lets you pay by bank transfer. | If a retry still doesn't go through, the alert will tell you the date of the next automatic attempt - you don't have to keep checking. Fix the underlying issue (funds, card, or bank block) and the next retry usually clears it. ## What happens if the grace period ends If the payment still hasn't gone through after the full 14 days, your subscription ends. The important part: **you don't lose any data.** - Your account is **moved to the Free plan**. (Accounts that can't run on Free - such as schools and additional locations - are instead **locked** until payment is completed.) - Printers above the Free plan's allowance are **locked, not deleted**. Your printers, files, AI access, and everything else are preserved exactly as they were. - All paid add-ons (extra printer slots, extra users, and so on) are removed from the active plan, and your billing schedule is cleared. You'll get a "Your account has been downgraded" (or "locked") email confirming this, with a button to reactivate. || Nothing is removed immediately when you drop to Free. If the account stays on the Free plan long-term, the normal Free-plan limits may eventually apply, so reactivating sooner keeps everything available exactly as-is. ## How to reactivate a terminated account Reactivating is quick, and your locked printers and files come straight back. 1. Log in at [simplyprint.io/panel](https://simplyprint.io/panel). If your account was locked (rather than moved to Free), you'll land directly on a **recovery page** titled "Your subscription was cancelled" with the message "We couldn't charge your card after several attempts. Add a working payment method to restore access." 2. Add a working payment method, or pay the outstanding invoice shown on that page. 3. The moment the payment clears, everything unlocks instantly - your printers, files, and paid features are back to exactly how they were. There's no re-setup. If your account moved to Free instead, just open **Settings > Subscription**, choose your plan again, and pay. Your locked printers unlock automatically once you're back on a paid plan. ## Chargebacks and bank reversals A failed charge and a **chargeback** are handled very differently. A chargeback or bank-initiated reversal (a SEPA reversal, a credit-card chargeback, or a PayPal dispute) is treated as a breach of our Terms of Service, because the service was already provided to you in good faith. ||| If your bank reverses a payment, your subscription is terminated immediately, and the grace period above does not apply. If you believe the reversal was a mistake, email us at contact@simplyprint.io and we'll look into reinstating your account. If something on an invoice looks wrong or you'd like a refund, contact us first at contact@simplyprint.io. We handle refund requests case by case and would much rather sort it out than have you file a chargeback. Filing a chargeback or initiating a refund through your bank, instead of contacting us first, may result in permanent termination of the account. ## Frequently asked questions ### Will my printers or files be deleted if I don't pay in time? No. When the grace period ends your account moves to the Free plan (or is locked), and any printers above the plan's limit are **locked, not deleted**. Your files and printer data are preserved, and reactivating restores everything instantly. ### How many days do I have to fix a failed payment? 14 days from the first failed charge. Your account stays fully active the entire time. ### Can I get an extension? The 14-day grace period is the extension - your account stays fully active the whole time, and even after it ends nothing is deleted, so there's no hard cut-off to race against. Reactivate whenever you're ready and everything comes straight back. ### I paid - why is my account still locked? A bank transfer or invoice payment can take a few business days to settle. Once it clears on our side, your account reactivates automatically. Card and wallet payments clear immediately, so use **Retry payment now** for the fastest restore. ### My card is fine but the charge keeps failing - what now? This is almost always a bank-side block on the recurring charge. Contact your bank and ask them to approve the charge, or switch to **PayPal** from the payment-failed alert. Both clear the large majority of these. ## Related articles - [How SimplyPrint billing works: payment methods, currencies, and invoices](https://help.simplyprint.io/en/article/how-simplyprint-billing-works-payment-methods-currencies-and-invoices-b45c6x/) - [Switching to invoiced payments (bank transfers)](https://help.simplyprint.io/en/article/switching-to-invoiced-payments-bank-transfers-dbwdpi/) - [Subscription payment method fees (PSD2)](https://help.simplyprint.io/en/article/subscription-payment-method-fees-psd2-hnq3so/) - [Can't add card or pay? Stripe payment form not loading](https://help.simplyprint.io/en/article/cant-add-card-or-pay-stripe-payment-form-not-loading-jsstripecomv3-blocked-10g4fbq/)