Learn why transactions fail and how to view the reason for the failure.
There are many reasons why a donor’s payment may fail, including:
- Insufficient funds in the donor’s account balance.
- The card has expired or becomes inactive after the initial transaction was made.
- The card used has been flagged as fraudulent by Stripe or PayPal.
Payment failures typically happen when the donor is not immediately charged for a transaction, such as with Auction bids, A-Thon pledges, or recurring donations.
How do I view details about a failed payment?
- Go to Account Navigation in the left menu and select Campaigns.
- If you have chosen a list view, click on the Campaign title. If you have selected a grid view, click on the Campaign image.
- Select View Donations.
- Use the filters at the top of the Status column to filter the table to display all Failed status payments.
- Hover your mouse over the failed payment you want to view, click on the three-dot menu on the right, and select View Failed Reason.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do donor payments fail on RallyUp?
Payments typically fail due to insufficient funds, expired or inactive cards, or cards flagged as fraudulent by Stripe or PayPal. Failed payments most commonly occur with transactions that aren’t immediately charged, such as Auction bids, A-Thon pledges, or recurring donations.
How will I know if a donor’s payment has failed?
Both you and the donor will receive automatic notifications when a transaction fails. You can also view all failed payments by filtering the Status column in your Campaign’s View Donations section.
Where do I find the reason a payment failed?
Go to Campaigns, select your Campaign, then View Donations. Filter the Status column to show Failed payments, hover over the failed transaction, click the three-dot menu, and select View Failed Reason.
What should I do when a payment fails?
You have multiple options for resubmitting failed payments, and both you and the donor will be notified automatically. Learn about all available solutions in our guide on what to do if a payment fails.
What if I can’t find a record of the failed payment in the View Donations report?
Sometimes, a donor’s transaction will fail because the transaction didn’t process successfully. In these cases, the donor won’t receive a confirmation email of the donation/purchase and the transaction won’t be listed in your records. The donor may need to check their bank account or you may need to check your Stripe/PayPal account to learn more. Please note that RallyUp cannot access the donor’s or your organization’s Stripe, PayPal, or bank account.
If you believe the transaction didn’t process successfully, you may ask the donor to try making their donation or purchase again. If they’re successful, they’ll receive a confirmation email and the transaction will appear in your records.
What types of transactions are most likely to fail?
Transactions that aren’t immediately charged have higher failure rates, including auction bids (charged after winning), A-Thon pledges (charged after the event), and recurring donations (charged on scheduled dates). Immediate transactions like raffle entries or event tickets fail less frequently.