Guide: A payment failed: what pauses and how to fix it
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/account/a-payment-failed-what-pauses-and-how-to-fix-it
Topic: Account, plans and credits
Time: about 3 minutes
Who can do it: Owner or Administrator
Author: https://anantgupta.xyz (Anant Gupta, founder of CommentWatchDog)
Start in the app: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/settings/account
Result when done: You know exactly what stops, and paying once brings everything back.
Context: When a renewal fails, moderation pauses immediately rather than quietly running without paying. Comments still arrive, and the moment the invoice is paid everything switches back on and the backlog is caught up.

Before you start:
1. Comments keep arriving in your inbox the whole time.
2. Rules stop hiding and deleting until the invoice is paid.
3. Paying the invoice resumes everything and processes the backlog.

Steps:
Step 1 of 3: Read the banner.
Where: A red banner on the Account tab says there is a payment issue and that the card is being retried, with a button to pay.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/settings/account (Open Account)
You should see: A statement of what is paused, and one way to fix it.

Step 2 of 3: Pay the open invoice.
Where: Pay now, on the banner on the Account tab, charges the card on file. To use another card, add it under Payment first.
You should see: The plan returns to active and moderation resumes within moments.

Step 3 of 3: Check the backlog was handled.
Where: The inbox: comments that arrived while it was paused are processed once the plan is active, and the ones your rules catch are handled then.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox (Open the inbox)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox.en.webp (The inbox, with the backlog handled.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The waiting comments processed, with their labels.

If something is off:
Problem: My card is fine but it still failed
Fix: Banks decline recurring charges for many reasons. Add another card under Payment on the Account tab, then pay the invoice.
Problem: I am not the owner
Fix: Anyone can see the banner but only the owner can pay. Send them the Account tab.
Problem: How long do I have
Fix: Retries continue for a while; the emails tell you where you are. Nothing is deleted at any point.

Common questions:
Question: How do I know a CommentWatchDog payment has failed?
Answer: A red banner on the Account tab says there is a payment issue and that the card is being retried, with a button to pay. Emails tell you where the retries stand.
Question: Do comments still come in while a payment is failed?
Answer: Yes. Comments keep arriving in your inbox the whole time; what stops is the rules hiding and deleting, until the invoice is paid.
Question: Will comments that arrived during the pause be moderated after I pay?
Answer: Yes. The moment the invoice is paid the plan returns to active, moderation resumes within moments, and the comments that arrived while it was paused are processed, with the ones your rules catch handled then.

Related guides:
- Payment methods: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/account/payment-methods
- Resume a plan: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/account/resume-a-plan
- Invoices and receipts: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/account/invoices-and-receipts

Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/account/a-payment-failed-what-pauses-and-how-to-fix-it.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt