Stripe Smart Retries: what they do, and don't
Smart Retries are Stripe's automatic retry of failed subscription and invoice payments, timed by a model. Keep them on. Just know where they stop.
What Smart Retries do
When a renewal fails, Stripe retries the charge at times its model predicts are likely to succeed, using signals like how recently the payment method was used and the time of day. You set how many attempts, within a window of 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 1 month or 2 months. Stripe's recommended default is 8 tries within 2 weeks (Stripe docs).
Turn them on in the Dashboard: Billing → Revenue recovery → Retries. Without Smart Retries, a custom schedule allows up to three retries.
What they can't do
- Hard declines aren't retried. For nine codes (lost or stolen card,
authentication_required,incorrect_number,transaction_not_allowed…) Stripe only charges again once a new payment method is detected. See the full list. - A retry says nothing to the customer. Someone whose card expired won't learn it from a retry.
- 3-D Secure needs the customer. An off-session renewal that the bank wants authenticated can't be completed by a retry.
Smart Retries plus SaveMyMRR
| Smart Retries | SaveMyMRR on top | |
|---|---|---|
| Retrying soft declines | Yes, timed by a model | Extra retries on day 1 (3 for insufficient funds), 3 and 5 |
| Hard declines | Waits for a new card | Asks for the new card, in your brand |
| Emails per decline reason | No | Yes, 4 per invoice |
| Dashboard of what came back | Stripe reports | Per invoice, with each email and retry |
Keep Smart Retries on: SaveMyMRR stops chasing the moment Stripe reports the invoice paid, whoever collected it.
Questions
How many times does Stripe retry by default?
Stripe recommends 8 tries within 2 weeks for Smart Retries; you can choose other counts and windows.
Should I disable Smart Retries if I use a dunning tool?
No. They cover soft declines well. A dunning tool adds what retries can't: telling the customer what to do.