When a member’s auto-payment fails, the most important thing is understanding why it failed before taking action. Birrdi gives you full visibility into this so you’re never guessing.
Step 1: Always Check the Audit Logs First
Before reaching out to the member or changing anything, start with the Audit Logs.
Where to look
Go to Home in the top menu bar, then Audit Logs in the left sidebar
Find the failed membership charge
See the log entry
Why this matters
The audit log will show you the exact reason the auto-payment failed (for example: card declined, expired card, insufficient funds, etc.). This is the fastest way to understand what’s actually going on. In almost every case, the failure is tied to the member’s credit card on file.
The Most Common Reason Auto-Payments Fail
Nearly all auto-payment failures happen because the credit card saved on the member’s Square customer profile can no longer be charged.
Common reasons include:
Expired card
Insufficient funds
Bank decline
Card was replaced or canceled
Temporary issuer restriction
How to Fix the Issue
Once you’ve confirmed the reason in the audit logs, there are two recommended ways to resolve it.
Option 1: Have the Member Update Their Card (Recommended)
This is the easiest and cleanest option.
What the member should do
Log into their Birrdi account
Go to their Memberships
Update their card on file
Save the new payment method
Once updated, future auto-payments will retry using the new card.
Option 2: Update the Card as an Admin in Square
If the member asks for help or prefers not to update it themselves, you can do this on their behalf.
Admin steps
Open the member’s Square Customer Profile
Remove the existing card on file
Add a new card
Save the updated payment method
Birrdi will automatically use the updated card for the next auto-payment attempt.
Key Takeaways
Always start with Audit Logs to understand why a payment failed
Failed auto-payments are almost always caused by the card on file in Square
The issue can be resolved by:
The member updating their card in Birrdi, or
An admin updating the card directly in Square
This approach ensures faster resolution, less back-and-forth, and fewer disruptions to active memberships.