Updating payment methods for unsupported gateways

If you're moving from the migrated Subscription Checkout Integration (SCIm) to the Shopify Checkout Integration (SCI), or moving from a legacy system to Shopify and Recharge, some customer payment methods may not transfer to the new system. When this happens, affected customers must manually update their payment method to continue their subscription.

Overview

During migration, certain payment methods cannot be carried forward due to platform and payment provider limitations. These constraints are industry-wide and not specific to Recharge.

Payment methods that typically require an update

• Stripe Link
• Amazon Pay
• Klarna / Afterpay (BNPL)
• iDEAL
• SEPA

Customers using these payment methods need to re-enter their credit card information to continue their subscription.

Note that this is not due to a failed payment issue. In these cases:

• The customer's payment has not failed
• There are no insufficient fund issues
• Nothing is wrong with the customer's account

This situation arises simply because the new system cannot charge the payment method. The new system's inability to charge the payment method is different from a failed payment. Unlike with insufficient fund issues, the customer's existing payment method is fine; it just cannot be billed in the new system. 

In these cases, card-based customers tend to update the easiest. Wallet and alternative payment users require more reminders. It's important to note that some churn is expected and acceptable. Recovery expectations vary by store, region, and customer base.

To prevent high amounts of churn or payment failures, provide your customers with instructions to update their payment information so you can successfully process their charges in the new system. Not all customers will update their payment method. If necessary, focus additional outreach on:

• Long-tenured customers
• Higher-value subscriptions

As mentioned, lower-value or high-friction subscriptions may churn naturally. Allowing this can protect your team’s capacity and overall profitability.

How customers can update their payment method

Depending on your store settings, you can either have customers update their payment method through:

• An email sent by Shopify that includes a secure link customers can use to update their payment method
• Frictionless payment method updates

It's important that you understand exactly where customers will land, what they will see, and the steps they must take before you communicate to them that they must update their payment method.

You can test this by generating a portal link for a customer from the Recharge admin and completing the update flow yourself. If you use the Affinity customer portal, you can access the portal through a magic link, and view the experience. If you use the Unity customer portal, log in as a test customer to view the update payment method experience.

Communicating with customers

Before messaging customers, it's important that you:

• Identify the affected customers
• Confirm the update flow works end-to-end
• Remove unsupported payment methods from the selection
• Test login and password reset flows
• Prepare your support team

Recharge recommends keeping your message simple and clear. For example:

“We’ve upgraded our billing system to improve reliability and security. Because your payment method was saved through a digital wallet or alternative provider, we need you to reconfirm it to continue your subscription.”

When communicating with customers, it's important to avoid overly technical explanations, blaming the platform/gateway, and promises about future payment method availability. Instead, focus on action and continuity.

Make sure your messages to your customers include:

1. Their first name
2. Subscription value framing (ie. "to keep your next shipment on schedule")
3. Exact next steps ("Click this link, confirm your card information is correct, select done")
4. Timeline

If you operate on strict fulfillment windows, use real deadlines. Align deadlines with internal processing cutoffs. For example:

“Update by Thursday at 5pm to avoid a delay in your next shipment.”

Recommended campaign approach

Recharge recommends encouraging customers to update their payment method through a secure link or portal.

Communicating update requests with your customers may require a few touchpoints. Consider using the following suggested sequence:

1. Email #1: Explanation and primary Call To Action

2. SMS Reminder (24–48 hours later, if opted in)

3. Email #2: Reminder and shipment timing

4. Email #3: Final reminder before pause

5. Targeted phone outreach for high-value customers

Recharge suggests using the following templates when crafting your notifications:

Optimize with A/B testing

If possible, test small variations in your messaging to improve results.

Consider testing:

• Subject line framing (for example, urgency vs. continuity)

• CTA button language

• Deadline messaging

• Sender identity (brand name vs. individual team member)

Even minor changes can improve completion rates.

High-touch approach for VIP cohorts

For higher-value segments (such as long-tenured, annual, or high-AOV customers), consider:

• Dedicated customer support routing

• Outbound call assistance

• Incentives only after successful update (used sparingly)

Customer support best practices

Preferred approach: self-serve updates

Most customers should update their payment method themselves using a secure link. Self-serve updates are faster, safer, and easier to scale.

Support teams can:

• Share the correct update link

• Stay on the line while customers complete the update

• Confirm the update was successful

Phone support (limited use)

For customers who cannot self-serve due to accessibility or technical limitations, phone assistance may be appropriate.

If offering phone-based assistance:

• Follow strict security procedures

• Do not record or store card details

• Use only PCI-compliant payment forms

• Limit handling to trained agents

Consider using this PCI-safe phone script if you do need to communciate with customers through a phone call:

Agent opening

“Hi [Name], this is [Agent] from [Brand]. I’m calling because we’re upgrading our subscription billing system and your subscription needs a quick payment confirmation to avoid interruption.”

Key compliance line

“For security, I can’t take card numbers over the phone. I’ll help you update it through our secure portal—takes about 30 seconds.”

Guided steps

“I’m sending you a text/email now with a secure link.”

“Open it, and you’ll see the Update payment method option. Enter your new card information and select save.

Close

“You’re all set, your next renewal will process normally.”

Compliance considerations

Consider the following to ensure you are compliant when communicating with your customers: