If a payment for your Kontentino subscription fails, don’t panic. Most issues are easy to fix and won’t immediately block your account. This guide explains how to spot a failed payment, why it happens, and what to do to get your subscription back on track.
How to tell your payment failed
You may notice one or more of the following:
A yellow “Payment failed” banner at the top of your dashboard
An email notification sent to your billing contact (ensure the correctness of the billing contact in Settings → Billing dashboard → Billing alerts)
A subscription renewal modal asking you to repurchase your subscription (after 3 failed payment attempts in a row)
Why payments fail
Card-related issues 💳
Insufficient funds – Not enough balance at the time of charge
Expired card – The card on file is no longer valid
Transaction limit exceeded – Daily or per-transaction limit reached
Generic decline – Your bank declined the payment without details
Card reported lost or stolen – The card is blocked by the bank
Bank-related issues 🏦
International or recurring payments are blocked
Security or fraud protection hold
Account activity limits exceeded
Account and billing issues ⚠️
Outdated billing address
AMEX + USD payments are not supported in our system
How to fix a failed payment
1. Check your email
Look for a payment failure email from Kontentino. It includes:
The reason for the failure
The attempted amount
What to do next
2. Open the Billing Dashboard
Log in to Kontentino
Click the Settings icon in the bottom-left
Select Billing Dashboard
Only Admins and Managers can access billing settings.
3. Update your payment method (if needed)
If your card was declined or expired:
Go to Payment Methods
Click Add new payment method
Enter new card details (securely processed via Braintree)
Set the card as default
If you wish to remove the old card, please contact us via the live chat
4. Retry the payment
Return to the Billing Dashboard → Overview
Retry the payment
If successful, you’ll see a confirmation, and the Paid until date will be updated.
Automatic renewal failures
Kontentino attempts to renew your subscription automatically before it expires.
What happens
We charge your default payment method 1 days before renewal
If it fails, we retry and notify you by email
If the payment fails for 3 nights in a row, your account will be blocked
What you should do
If your subscription is still active (the payment failed once or twice in a row):
Go to Billing Dashboard → Overview
Check that your payment method is valid and funded
Click Edit subscription → select your plan
Click Confirm order
If your subscription expired and account was blocked (the payment failed three days in a row):
Log in to Kontentino
The subscription expired modal will pop up → click Choose your plan
You'll be redirected to the Billing dashboard → click Buy subscription
Select your plan and ensure the payment method is valid and funded
Click Confirm order
Common error messages (and how to fix them)
Issue | What it means | What to do |
“Do not honor” / "Transaction declined" | Your bank blocked the transaction without explanation. | Contact your bank and ask them to allow payments from Braintree/Kontentino, then retry or use another card. |
“Insufficient funds” | Your balance was too low at the time of charge. | Add funds, wait for the balance to update, then retry payment. |
“Card expired” | The card on file is no longer valid. | Add a new card, set it as default, and retry. |
“Transaction limit exceeded” | The charge exceeded your card's daily or per-transaction limit. | Ask your bank to increase the limit or use a different card. |
AMEX + USD payment failed | AMEX cards can’t process USD payments in our system. | Use Visa/Mastercard or PayPal, or ask our team to switch to EUR billing (if available). |
How to prevent payment issues
Do
Keep your card details up to date
Make sure your billing address matches your card
Allow transactions from Kontentino/Braintree with your bank
Add a backup payment method
Ensure your billing alerts email is up to date (in Billing dashboard → Billing alerts), and watch for billing emails
Avoid
Letting cards expire
Using low-limit cards for annual plans
Ignoring payment failure notifications
Pro tip: Annual plans are charged in one payment. If your bank has strict limits or fraud checks, notify them in advance.
FAQs
Will I lose my data if a payment fails?
No. Your posts, content, and settings stay safe. Access may be limited until payment is resolved, but nothing is deleted.
How long do I have to fix a failed payment?
You’ll have 3 days to fix the payment to avoid disruptions. In case you need more time to sort out the payment, feel free to contact us via the live chat.
Can I pay by bank transfer?
No, we currently don't support bank transfers. You can pay via debit card (Visa, Mastercard, most major cards) or PayPal. All card payments are processed securely via Braintree.
Why can’t you tell me exactly why my bank declined the payment?
Banks don’t share detailed decline reasons with us. Your bank can provide the exact explanation.
I updated my card, but the payment still fails — what now?
Check that:
The transaction is within your daily/monthly/per-transaction limits.
You have sufficient funds in your bank account.
The card is active and allowed for online/international payments
If it still fails, try another card or PayPal.
Final note
Payment issues are usually quick to fix once you know the cause. In most cases, updating a card or confirming things with your bank does the trick.
Still stuck? Reach out via the live chat in the bottom-right corner of your Kontentino dashboard — we’ll help you sort it out fast.