How It Works
When a client pays with a bank account (ACH) or SEPA debit, the system immediately confirms their order
Clients receive access to credits, classes, or products right away
The payment processes in the background (typically 3-5 business days for ACH)
Payment Failure Handling:
If a payment fails after optimistic confirmation, both studio staff and the client receive automatic email notifications
Clients receive a retry link in their email to update their payment method and complete the payment
The retry flow allows clients to fix payment issues without losing access (until payment is resolved)
How can a payment be retried?
Clients click the retry link in their failure notification email
They can select a new payment method and retry the payment
The system verifies client identity to prevent cross-client payment method attachment
Commonly ask questions:
Q: What happens if a client gets access but the payment fails?
A: Both the studio and client receive automatic email notifications. The client gets a retry link to update their payment method and complete the payment. This ensures studios don't lose revenue when payments fail.
Q: Who has access to this feature?
A: All studios automatically have this enabled. It only applies to bank account (ACH) and SEPA debit payments. Credit card payments continue to work as before.
Q: Is this on by default?
A: Yes, this is automatically enabled for all studios. No setup required.
Q: Does this impact existing users or workflows?
A: No breaking changes. This only affects bank account payment flows. Credit card and other payment methods remain unchanged.
Q: What's the risk of clients getting free access?
A: The retry flow ensures failed payments are caught and resolved. Clients receive notifications and can easily retry payments. Studios also receive notifications so they're aware of any payment issues.
Q: How quickly do clients get access after paying with a bank account?
A: Clients get immediate access when the payment is initiated (on `charge.pending` event). The payment processes in the background over the next few business days.
Q: What happens if a client doesn't retry a failed payment?
A: Studios receive notifications about failed payments and can follow up with clients directly. The retry link remains available for clients to use.
Q: Do I need to be logged in to complete the payment?
A: No, you can retry the payment directly from the link in your email without logging in. However, if you are logged in, the system uses your client ID for additional verification to ensure payment methods aren't attached to the wrong account.
Q: What happens if I retry the payment with another account different from the one I used to initially pay for the cart?
A: The system verifies that the client ID matches the original payment intent metadata. If you retry with a different account, the payment method won't be automatically attached to prevent cross-client payment method attachment. The payment can still be done but no automatic attachment will happen to the payment method.
Q: Are there any known limitations?
A:
Only supports ACH (US bank accounts) and SEPA debit payments
Payment method attachment is conditional - only attaches if the client ID matches the payment intent metadata
Confirmation only happens for bank account/SEPA payments, not credit cards
Q: Why don't we do optimistic confirmation for credit cards?
A: Credit card payments process instantly, so there's no need for optimistic confirmation. This feature specifically addresses the multi-day processing time for bank transfers.