The Hard declines strategy handles payments the payment provider or bank refused in a way that repeated retries rarely fix. The strategy emails the subscriber from the third day and adds a discount early to get the payment method updated.
Who this strategy targets
This strategy targets subscribers whose billing agreement was cancelled, whose payment hit a provider error, or whose bank has already declined a retry. Waiting rarely helps here, so the subscriber needs to act sooner than in a soft decline.
Navigate to Loop admin > Retain > Payment recovery > Recovery strategies, then click Hard declines under Advanced recovery strategy. To build it from scratch, click Create strategy and select the failure reasons below.
Failure reasons: Billing agreement cancelled, Payment provider error, Card retry declined
Conditions: None
When to use it
Use this strategy when these failure reasons show a low recovery rate under the general recovery strategy. A shorter silent window and an earlier email bring these subscribers back before they forget about the order.
How to set it up
The defaults below are a starting point. Each brand decides how many retries to run, when to email, and how much to offer.
Setting | Default | Why it helps |
Retries | 15 retries over 42 days | Two quick retries rule out a one-off error. Later retries are spaced 2 to 5 days apart to give the subscriber time to act. |
Emails | 13 emails, starting at retry 3 | The subscriber hears about the problem on day 3, while the order is still fresh in their mind. |
Discounts | None for retries 1 to 3, then 10% to 25% | The discount starts higher than in the soft declines strategy because these payments need the subscriber to act. It applies automatically when the subscription reaches that retry. |
After all retries | Pause the subscription | A paused subscription can be resumed later without the subscriber signing up again. |
Default retry schedule
Retries | Gap before each retry | Days after the failed payment | Discount | Email to subscriber |
1 to 2 | 1 day | 1 to 2 | None | No |
3 | 1 day | 3 | None | Payment failed |
4 to 7 | 2 days | 5 to 11 | 10% | Payment failed |
8 to 10 | 3 days | 14 to 20 | 15% | Payment failed |
11 to 13 | 4 days | 24 to 32 | 20% | Payment failed |
14 | 5 days | 37 | 25% | Last billing attempt left |
15 | 5 days | 42 | 25% | Payment failed and subscription paused |
Note: Only the current retry's discount is active. When the subscription reaches the next retry with a discount, the earlier discount is replaced.
Example
A pet food subscriber's renewal fails with Billing agreement cancelled after they closed an old payment account. Two quick retries fail, and on day 3 they receive a payment failed email.
They add a new payment method from the email, and the order goes through on the next retry with 10% off.
Need help?
No worries - we're here for you!
If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to email us at [email protected] or chat with us using the support beacon at the bottom right of your screen.
Regards,
Loop subscriptions team 🙂