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
- Sign in at the creator's site.
- Visit your Subscriptions page (you can get there from the yellow notice or navigate to Subscriptions from your account menu).
- Click Update Payment Method on the membership that's failing.
- Enter the new card details. Stripe handles the update securely — Equipoise never sees your card number.
- 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.