Retrying failed payments and asking subscribers to update their payment method.
What is dunning
Dunning is what happens after a subscription payment fails, for example because a card expired or had insufficient funds. The payment is retried automatically over several days, and the subscriber gets reminders to update their payment method. If every retry fails, the subscription stops.Why it matters
Failed payments cause involuntary churn: subscribers who never meant to leave. It’s often a large share of all churn, and much of it can be recovered with good dunning.What good dunning includes
- Retries spread over time, not all on the same day.
- Clear emails or texts with a direct link to update the payment method.
- A grace period before the subscription is canceled.