Overview
We work to make your checkout experience smooth, but sometimes payments can fail to process. This guide walks you through common payment errors and shows you how to resolve them.
Tip: Use Control + F (Windows) or Command + F (Mac) to search this article for specific error messages.
Declined credit card payments
Teachable doesn't decline credit cards directly. We send your payment request to your bank or card provider and display their response on the checkout page.
Please see the table below for the most common decline message.
Error message | Reason | Next step |
Your card was declined due to insufficient funds | Your card provider reported a lack of available funds | - Check your card balance |
Your card was declined due to the number being incorrect | Your card provider reported the card number as incorrect | - Double-check your card info |
Your card was declined due to exceeding its balance, credit or transaction limit | Your card provider reported that this card has exceeded a spending limit | - Contact your card provider |
Your card was declined | Your bank declined the payment without providing details. | - Contact your card provider. |
Problems with your payment
These errors come from Teachable and relate to your account or the product you’re purchasing.
Error message | Reason | Next step |
This product is not available | The product may have expired, been unpublished, or changed purchase links | Contact the school owner for an updated purchase link. |
You are already enrolled in this product | You can’t repurchase a product you already own | Click the link provided to access your product. Contact the school owner if you have questions. |
Status code 59: Your payment could not be processed due to an authorization error | Additional approval is required for your payment | Contact Teachable Support and provide the error code, school name, and product name. |
Recurring payments
If your recurring payment (e.g., subscription or payment plan) fails, you’ll receive an email notification. Follow the steps below to resolve it:
For credit/debit cards:
Check that your saved card info is correct
Make sure your account has sufficient funds
Contact your bank or card provider if needed
For PayPal:
Log in to your PayPal account and confirm your payment method
Ensure your connected card/account has sufficient funds
Contact your bank or PayPal if problems continue
Automatic retry schedule
Failed payments will be automatically retried several times using the schedules outlined below.
Payment method | Billing cycle | Retry schedule |
Credit/debit card | Monthly, quarterly, yearly | Retries on day 3, 7, and 14 after the first attempt |
Credit/debit card | Weekly | Retries on day 3 and 7 |
PayPal | All plans | Retries on day 5 and 10 |
If your final payment attempt fails, your subscription will be canceled and you’ll be removed from the product. To regain access, you'll need to repurchase the product. Contact your school owner if you need help repurchasing.
Strong customer authentication (SCA)
In some regions, your bank may require additional verification when making a payment (per Strong Customer Authentication laws). You may see a prompt on the checkout page or receive an email asking you to verify the charge.
If verification fails:
Retry the payment
Contact your bank for assistance
Reach out to studenthelp@teachable.com with details about the issue
Still need help?
If you encounter further payment-related issues like delays, validating emails, or unpaid invoices, consider reaching out to the relevant support according to the specific issue discussed in the added sections.
If you’ve tried the steps above and still can’t complete your payment:
Contact your bank or card provider to confirm there are no issues
Write studenthelp@teachable.com with your error message and purchase details