How to Update a Customer’s Payment Method for Shop Pay Subscriptions

✅ TL;DR

Shop Pay subscriptions are permanently tied to the original card used at checkout.

Adding a new card in Shop Pay won’t update the billing method on the subscription.

The fix?

To use a new card, the customer must start a new subscription.
Shopify does not allow payment methods to be swapped after the fact.

This is a known Shopify limitation — third-party apps like Ongoing Subscriptions can’t override it.

✅ What Customers Should Do

If the card on file has expired or they want to switch to a new one:

Add the new card to Shop Pay
Re-purchase the subscription using the new card
(Optional) Cancel the old subscription linked to the expired card

This ensures payments go through — Shopify does not let you update the payment method on an existing subscription if the original card is expired or removed.

❌ Can Customers Just Update the Card?

Nope. Even if they add a new card in Shop Pay, Shopify will keep trying to charge the original card.

If that card is expired, it results in failed payments.

✅ Only option: Create a new subscription using the new card.

🛠️ How to Handle Card Updates in Shop Pay

✅ If the Original Card Still Works

If the original card hasn’t expired or been deleted, customers can update the payment method on their subscription:

Log into Shop (via browser)
Go to Active Orders → select the subscription
Click Edit Payment Method (pencil icon)
⚠️ Don’t delete the old card — it will break the subscription
Choose an existing card or click + Use a different card
Click Update to save

Important:
If the original card is still active, this will work.
If the card is expired or deleted, it will not — a new subscription is required.

🔴 If the Original Card is Expired or Deleted

⚠️ Do not delete the old card from Shop Pay — doing so breaks the subscription.
Log into Shop → Account > Wallet
Click Edit Payment Method (pencil icon)
Click + Use a Different Card and enter the new card
Go back to the store and re-purchase the subscription using the new card
→ This creates a brand-new subscription with new card
Cancel the old subscription (optional, but recommended)

❓ Why This Happens (Shopify Limitation)

Shopify locks each subscription to the original card used during checkout.

New cards added to Shop Pay are treated as separate from the original one
Shopify will not swap in new cards for old subscriptions
Even if a new card is added, Shopify keeps charging the old one
If the original card is expired or has been deleted, this often results in payment failures, and the subscription becomes inactive.
This behavior is built into how Shopify manages subscriptions, and is not something third-party apps like Ongoing Subscriptions can change.
We display subscription and billing status exactly as Shopify provides it — we don’t store or manage card data.

✅TL;DR

Goal	What to do
Update card on active subscription	`Active Orders → select subscription → Edit Payment Method`
Add new card after old one expired	`Account → Wallet → + Add a payment method` (then re-checkout)

✅ Final Summary

Goal	What to Do
Update card on active subscription	Shop > Active Orders > Select Subscription > Edit Payment Method
Replace expired card	Shop > Wallet > + Use a Different Card → Re-checkout on store
Don’t delete old card	Keep it until the new subscription is created
Got errors?	Contact our support team — we’re happy to help walk through the process

⚠️ Caution: Avoid Deleting Cards with Active Subscriptions

If you delete a card that’s still linked to an active subscription:

The subscription will continue trying to charge the old card — even if it no longer exists
Payments will fail, and the subscription will be marked as declined
The subscription will become inactive, and service may stop until a new one is created

✅ To avoid this, update the payment method before removing the old card.

⚠️ Common Error Messages

“Card Not Found” – Shopify is trying to charge a card that was deleted and can no longer be located.

“Card Expired” – The card is no longer valid, and no updated card is linked to the subscription.

✅ What Happens if a Customer Swaps Their Card in the Ongoing Portal?

For subscriptions paid with Shop Pay, customers cannot simply swap in a new card or update the expiration date to keep the subscription active.

Shopify permanently ties the subscription to the original card used at checkout.

So even if the customer deletes the old card or adds a new one in Shop Pay, it won’t update the billing method for the existing subscription.

If they try this, they’ll likely see errors like “Card Not Found” or “Card Expired.”

Quick Reference:

Situation	What to Do
Card still works	Go to Shop > Active Orders → Edit Payment Method
Card expired or deleted	Add new card in Shop Pay → Re-purchase the subscription
Deleted card before updating	Subscription will fail — must start new one
Seeing errors like "Card Not Found"	Likely due to deleted/expired card still linked to old subscription

✅ Summary

Subscriptions in Shopify (via Shop Pay) are locked to the original card used at checkout.
Customers cannot update an expired or deleted card on an existing subscription — even if a new card is added to Shop Pay.
The only reliable fix:
→ Add the new card to Shop Pay
→ Re-purchase the subscription on your store
→ Cancel the old subscription (optional)

✅ Need Help?

If you're unsure what to do next — or a customer is seeing payment errors — feel free to contact our support team. We’re happy to guide you through it!