Troubleshoot failed payments
Overview
If payment for a new Cloudflare plan, add-on, or subscription fails, you may need to ask your bank to remove a hold, update your Cloudflare billing information, or confirm that your account has sufficient funds
If payment for a recurring charge for a Cloudflare plan, add-on, or subscription is unsuccessful after five (5) days, your account is automatically downgraded to a Free plan. Downgrading to a Free plan does not suspend your website, but you will lose any subscriptions or add-on services associated with the Pro, Business, or Enterprise plan.
After confirming your payment method information, Cloudflare suggests manually updating your plan type and subscriptions using the Cloudflare dashboard.
Payment method validation
All changes to payment methods must now pass validation before being accepted. An error will result if the payment details are incorrect.
Below are common validation methods as well as next steps to rectify the issue:
Address validation
The address entered is checked against a database to verify if it is correct. The verification will fail if there is a mismatch.
Card address validation
The address entered on the Cloudflare Dashboard is validated against the address that the card is registered with at the card provider. The verification will fail if there is a mismatch.
CVC validation
The CVC code is verified against the card entered. The verification will fail if there is a mismatch. The card will also be rejected if it is not accepted for use on our website.
Card type validation
The card type will be validated, which means that card types that we do not support will fail. Not all card types are supported by Cloudflare. As a result, some Visa and Mastercard methods may not be supported.
Email validation
A verification email is sent to the address on file for your PayPal account.
Common reasons for failed payments
Bank hold
The bank or card issuer has placed a hold or other similar measure that prevents Cloudflare from charging the card on file. The email you received alerting you about the failed payment lists the specific reason for the decline.
Contact your bank to check for any restriction that would prevent Cloudflare from successfully processing your payment.
Incorrect billing information
The billing information that Cloudflare has on file is inaccurate or incomplete. Also, the credit card on file might have expired.
To ensure all billing information is current and accurate, refer to Updating your Cloudflare billing information.
Insufficient funds
Cloudflare was unable to collect payment due to insufficient funds in the account on file. Contact your financial institution to ensure fund availability.
Cloudflare Registrar domain purchases
Cloudflare processes payments for Registrar domain transfers one at a time, which may trigger a failed payment for users that purchase multiple domains at a time.
For example, if you register five domains in one day, you will be charged five times. This may be flagged as fraud by your credit card company.
Contact your financial institution to ensure that this payment will be processed.