✅ TL;DR:
Customers cannot update an expired card for an existing subscription.
Adding a new card in Shop Pay does not fix the old subscription.
Shopify permanently ties subscriptions to the original card used.
Customers must create a new subscription linked to the new card.
This is a Shopify system limitation, not controlled by Ongoing.
If a customer updates their expired credit card in Shop Pay but the change doesn’t seem to reflect in Ongoing Subscriptions, here’s what you need to know and what the customer must do to fix it.
Can Customers Update an Expired Card?
No, customers cannot update an expired card directly.
If a customer's card has expired, they must add a brand new card to their Shop Pay account. Shopify requires a new subscription to be created to link the updated payment method.
This is a limitation of Shopify's system.
Ongoing Subscriptions relies entirely on Shopify to manage and update payment methods.
🛠️ What Customers Need to Do
If a customer's card has expired:
Log into Shop Pay (either using the Shop app or a web browser).
Add a new card to their list of payment methods.
Create a new subscription using the new card.
Cancel old subscription tied to expired card.
Customers cannot simply edit the expiration date or billing address on an expired card to continue an old subscription.
If they attempt this, they will likely encounter errors such as "Card Not Found" or "Card Expired" because Shopify disconnects expired cards from active subscriptions.
Why This Happens
Shopify and Shop Pay oversee all payment method updates.
Ongoing Subscriptions only displays the information sent by Shopify.
Shopify treats newly added cards as entirely separate from existing subscriptions.
⚠️ Common Error Messages
"Card Not Found": This appears when the subscription attempts to bill a card that has been removed or not properly updated in Shop Pay.
"Card Expired": This shows when Shopify tries to charge an expired card and no active replacement is linked to the subscription.
🧾 For Merchants
If a customer reports updating their card but the subscription still fails:
Check the customer's Shop Pay account to confirm if a new card was added.
Review subscription transaction logs in your Shopify admin for error messages.
Guide the customer to create a new subscription with the updated payment method.
Shopify Help Center
Unfortunately, this is a known limitation within Shopify's system, and as a merchant, you have limited control over this process.
What Happens if a Customer Swaps Their Card in the Ongoing Portal?
Even if a customer adds a new card to Shop Pay and "swaps" it in their Ongoing Subscriber Portal, Shopify will continue attempting to charge the original card linked to the subscription.
Shopify permanently ties the subscription to the card originally used at checkout.
Adding or swapping a card does not update the payment method for an existing subscription.
Summary:
✅ Customers can add a new card to Shop Pay.
❌ Customers cannot swap in a new card on an old subscription.
✅ Customers must create a new subscription to use the new card.
Important Notes
Ongoing Subscriptions reports the payment status provided by Shopify.
Ongoing does not store, control, or manage customer payment information.
Limitations with card updating and subscription linking are a result of Shopify's system, not Ongoing's platform.
If you have questions or need additional support, please reach out to our team. We're happy to assist! 😊