Troubleshoot Stripe payment issues

In this article: How to diagnose and fix the most common Stripe payment issues — from disconnected accounts to declined cards to missing payouts. All Plans

If payments aren't working or something seems off with your Stripe connection, start here. These are the issues that come up most often, along with how to fix each one.

Stripe shows as disconnected

If Stripe appears disconnected in your account settings:

1. Go to Account → Integrations.
2. Check the Stripe status. If it says disconnected, click Connect with Stripe.
3. Log in to your Stripe account and authorize the connection.

Common causes of disconnection:

• Stripe revoked access because your account needs additional verification (identity, bank account, or business details). Check your Stripe dashboard for banners or alerts.
• You disconnected Stripe manually and forgot to reconnect.
• Stripe's authorization expired. Re-authorizing takes about 30 seconds.

After reconnecting, your existing price points and enrolled students are not affected. Everything picks up where it left off.

Connected the wrong Stripe account

If you connected a personal Stripe account instead of your business account (or vice versa), you can switch.

1. Go to Account → Integrations.
2. Click Disconnect next to Stripe.
3. Click Connect with Stripe again.
4. This time, log in to the correct Stripe account (or use Stripe's account switcher if you have multiple accounts).

Students say their payment isn't going through

When a student's payment fails at checkout, the issue is usually on the card or bank side, not in Ruzuku.

Check your Stripe dashboard first:

1. Log in to dashboard.stripe.com.
2. Go to Payments and look for the failed charge.
3. Stripe shows a decline reason for each failed payment.

Common decline reasons:

• Insufficient funds. The student's card doesn't have enough balance. Ask them to try a different card.
• Card expired. The student needs to use a current card.
• 3D Secure authentication failed. Some banks require the student to confirm the payment in their banking app. If they dismissed or missed the prompt, the payment fails. Ask them to try again and watch for a pop-up or redirect from their bank.
• Card blocked by bank. Some banks flag international or online transactions. The student should contact their bank to authorize the charge, then try again.
• Stripe account not fully verified. If your Stripe account is missing verification documents, Stripe may block incoming payments. Check your Stripe dashboard for any alerts or banners asking for additional information.

What to tell the student: Ask them to try a different card, or contact their bank to authorize the charge. You can also share your PayPal option (if connected) as an alternative.

Subscription payments are failing

Stripe automatically retries failed subscription and payment plan charges. The typical retry schedule is 3-4 attempts over about a week.

To check the status:

1. Log in to dashboard.stripe.com.
2. Go to Subscriptions or search for the student's email.
3. You'll see the subscription status and any failed payment attempts.

If the student's card keeps failing: They need to update their card. Point them to Update or cancel a course subscription for instructions on updating their payment method.

What happens if all retries fail: Stripe cancels the subscription and the student loses course access. You'll see this in your Stripe dashboard. If the student fixes their card later, they'll need to re-enroll through your sales page or you can send them a free invitation.

Payouts not arriving in your bank account

If money isn't showing up in your bank account, check your Stripe payout schedule.

1. Log in to dashboard.stripe.com.
2. Go to Payouts (under Balance in the left sidebar).

Common reasons for delayed payouts:

• New account. Your first Stripe payout takes 7-14 days. After that, payouts follow a rolling 2-day schedule in the US (timing varies by country).
• Verification pending. Stripe may hold payouts until you complete identity or business verification. Check for a banner at the top of your Stripe dashboard.
• Bank details incorrect. If Stripe can't send money to your bank account, the payout fails. Check your bank account details under Settings → Bank accounts and scheduling in Stripe.
• Below minimum payout. Stripe has minimum payout thresholds that vary by country. Very small amounts may be held until the next payout cycle.

If payouts were working before and suddenly stopped, check your Stripe email for notifications. Stripe communicates payout holds and verification requests by email.

Test mode vs. live mode

If you connected Stripe while it was in test mode, payments won't actually process. Students can go through the checkout flow but no real charges are made.

How to check:

1. Log in to dashboard.stripe.com.
2. Look at the top of the page. If you see a "Test mode" banner or toggle, you may be viewing test data.
3. Switch to live mode using the toggle.

If you connected Ruzuku in test mode: Disconnect Stripe in Account → Integrations, switch your Stripe dashboard to live mode, then reconnect. This ensures the live mode API keys are used.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Articles

Need Help?

Email us at support@ruzuku.com — we typically respond within a few hours (M-F 10am-6pm ET).