When a client's payment fails, Ignition can retry it for you automatically. You choose how many times Ignition retries and how many days it waits between each attempt, so you don't have to chase failed payments manually.

Automatic retries are on by default on every Ignition account, set to 1 retry, 3 days after the payment fails.

When a payment fails, Ignition:

If the payment is paid before the retry runs, either by your client through the payment portal or by you collecting it manually, the scheduled retry does not run.

Your changes save as soon as you make them.

Maximum number of retries counts retries only, not the first attempt. Setting it to 3 means Ignition tries the payment up to four times in total: the original attempt plus three retries.

Days between retries is counted in calendar days from each failure, including weekends and public holidays.

For example, with 5 days and 2 retries, a payment that fails on the 1st is retried on the 6th, and again on the 11th if that retry also fails.

Changing the schedule applies to retries scheduled from that point on. Retries already scheduled on existing payments keep the date they were given.

With retries off, failed payments stay in your Collections list for you to reschedule or collect manually. Ignition still emails your client and your notification addresses when a payment fails.

Navigate to your Payments → Collections tab.

While a retry is still to come, the payment sits in the Scheduled tab. Collect on shows the date of the next attempt, with the retry number under it.

Once a payment has used every retry in your schedule, it moves to the Failed tab and shows Retry limit reached under the date Ignition last attempted it. Reschedule or collect these payments manually.

Every attempt is also recorded on the invoice itself. Open the invoice and look at Activity for the full history: when Ignition started the collection, why it was rejected, and which retry is scheduled next.

Your client gets an email each time the payment fails, with a link to pay. They also have the option to retry their payment manually if they wish.

When another retry is scheduled, the email tells them when it will happen:

The wording in the email follows the schedule you've set. Your client can pay from the link in that email at any time. If they do, the scheduled retry doesn't run.

If the retry is successful, the payment will be processed without any additional action needed from your client.

As with all rejected payments, you will be notified by email to the addresses set under Settings → Payment Gateway → Notifications email.

Similarly if your client has retried their payment, we'll let you know by sending an email to those email addresses.

Here's an example of the email notification you will receive when a client payment fails:

Each automatic retry attempt will be logged in the audit trail of the corresponding invoice. To view the audit trail, simply click into the invoice → scroll down to the Activity section.

This allows you to keep track of all retry attempts and their outcomes.

Retry attempts will be displayed in the Collections tab under the Scheduled section.

This provides a clear view of upcoming retry attempts, helping you stay informed about the status of your payment collections.

In some cases, payments may still be rejected even after a retry.

For detailed instructions on how to handle rejected payments, please refer to our support article here.

By utilizing Automatic Payment Retries, you can enhance your payment collection process, reduce manual intervention, and improve overall efficiency. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out to our support team.

For more information on Ignition payments, see this article collection here.