What Happens When Your Card Fails

Sometimes a card on file stops working — it expired, got reissued after fraud, your bank blocked a charge, or the billing address changed. When that happens on a recurring membership, Equipoise doesn't cut off your access immediately.

The Grace Period

Instead, your membership enters a grace period. You keep full access while you update your payment method. The creator you support sets the length — most grace windows are 7 days.

During grace you'll see:

  • A yellow notice at the top of your memberships page reminding you to update your card.
  • A link to your Subscriptions page where you can enter a new card.
  • An optional daily email from the creator (if they've turned those on).

How to Update Your Payment Method

  1. Sign in at the creator's site.
  2. Visit your Subscriptions page (you can get there from the yellow notice or navigate to Subscriptions from your account menu).
  3. Click Update Payment Method on the membership that's failing.
  4. Enter the new card details. Stripe handles the update securely — Equipoise never sees your card number.
  5. The next automatic retry will use the new card. Usually that happens within 24 hours.

What If I Miss the Grace Window?

If the grace window passes without a successful payment, your membership expires. When it expires:

  • You lose access to the gated content that membership unlocked.
  • Your subscription is canceled.
  • Any content you bought outright (one-time course purchases, digital downloads) stays available — those don't depend on the subscription.

Getting Your Membership Back

You can re-subscribe at any time. Go back to the creator's membership page and pick the tier you want. A new subscription starts immediately.

Some creators offer a "welcome back" perk for returning members — worth looking for.

Quick FAQ

  • Will I be charged twice? No. The failed payment is never collected. Only a successful payment is billed.
  • Will the creator know my card failed? They'll see your membership in grace on their dashboard, yes.
  • Can I change to a different card without canceling? Yes — updating the payment method doesn't cancel the subscription.
  • Does grace apply to one-time course purchases? No — those are permanent once paid. Grace only applies to recurring subscriptions.

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