Payment Failed

Payment failures can be frustrating, but they're usually easy to resolve. This guide explains why payments fail and how to fix the issue so you can complete your booking.

How Servella payments work

Servella uses a secure two-step payment process to protect both you and our cleaners:

• When you book, we authorise (pre-authorise) your card – this places a temporary hold on the funds but doesn't charge you yet
• The actual charge (capture) only happens after your clean is completed
• This means if a booking is cancelled before the clean, no money is taken from your account
• Authorisations typically appear as "pending" transactions on your bank statement
• If a booking doesn't go ahead, the authorisation is released and the hold is removed (this can take 3-7 days depending on your bank)

Authorisation failures

If the authorisation fails when you make a booking, it means your bank has declined the pre-authorisation request. This can happen because:

• Insufficient available funds – you need enough balance to cover the hold amount
• Card restrictions – some cards don't allow pre-authorisations
• Daily authorisation limits – you may have reached your card's daily limit for holds
• Bank security flags – your bank may need you to verify the transaction
• Card not enabled for online payments – some cards require activation for online use
• Your bank doesn't recognise Servella – first-time transactions may need verification

Resolving authorisation failures during booking

If an authorisation fails while you're making a booking:

• The booking will not be confirmed until payment is authorised
• You'll see a failure screen with the reason (if provided by your bank)
• Click "Try Again" to retry with the same card after checking your details
• Click "Use Different Card" to try another payment method
• Contact your bank to ask why pre-authorisations are being declined
• Some banks require you to enable "card not present" transactions
• After resolving the issue with your bank, return to complete your booking

Authorisation failures before your clean

We authorise payments automatically before upcoming cleans. If this authorisation fails, you'll receive an email with the subject "Payment Issue with Your Booking". This email will:

• Explain that we were unable to authorise payment for your upcoming booking
• Show the affected booking details (reference, date, time, address, amount)
• Include the failure reason if one was provided by your bank
• List common reasons for payment failures
• Include an "Update Payment Method" button to fix the issue
• Ask you to update your payment method within 24 hours
• Warn that your booking may be cancelled if payment cannot be authorised

What to do if you receive a payment failure email

If you receive an email about a payment failure for an upcoming booking, it's important to act quickly:

• Click "Update Payment Method" in the email to go directly to your payment settings
• Add a new card or update your existing card details
• Ensure the card has sufficient funds and isn't blocked
• Once updated, we'll automatically retry the authorisation
• Contact support if you need help or believe this is an error

Important: Bookings require payment

Please be aware that we cannot proceed with a clean if payment cannot be authorised:

• If you don't update your payment method in time, your booking will be cancelled
• You won't be charged for cancelled bookings where payment could not be authorised
• You'll need to make a new booking once you've resolved the payment issue
• To avoid disruption, please keep your payment details up to date
• If you have recurring cleans and payment fails repeatedly, your schedule may be paused

Common reasons for payment failure

Payments can fail for several reasons. Here are the most common:

• Insufficient funds – your account doesn't have enough money to cover the payment
• Card expired – your card's expiry date has passed
• Card declined – your bank has declined the transaction for security reasons
• Incorrect card details – the card number, expiry date, or CVV was entered incorrectly
• Card not supported – we accept Visa, Mastercard, and American Express
• Transaction limit exceeded – your card has a daily or per-transaction spending limit
• International transaction blocked – some cards block payments to UK merchants
• Temporary bank issue – your bank may be experiencing technical problems

Payment failed during booking

If your payment fails while making a booking, you'll see a failure screen with two options:

• "Try Again" – click this to retry the payment with the same card after checking your details
• "Use Different Card" – click this to enter new card details or select another saved card
• The screen will also show the reason for the failure if one was provided by your bank
• Your booking won't be confirmed until payment is successful

Steps to resolve a failed payment

Follow these steps to fix the issue and complete your payment:

• Check your card details – ensure the card number, expiry date, and CVV are entered correctly
• Verify available funds – make sure your account has sufficient balance for the payment
• Check your card hasn't expired – if it has, you'll need to use a different card or update your details
• Contact your bank – if the payment is being declined, your bank can tell you why and may need to authorise the transaction
• Try a different card – if the issue persists, use an alternative payment method
• Clear your browser cache – occasionally, cached data can cause payment issues

Bank security checks

Banks often decline transactions as a security measure. This commonly happens when:

• It's your first payment to Servella
• The payment amount is higher than usual for your account
• You've made several transactions in quick succession
• You're paying from an unusual location
• Your bank's fraud detection system has flagged the transaction

Resolving bank declines

If your bank has declined the payment:

• Check your banking app or online banking for any notifications or alerts
• You may have received a text or email asking you to verify the transaction
• Call your bank's customer service line – they can authorise the payment and whitelist Servella
• Some banks allow you to approve transactions directly in their app
• After speaking to your bank, try the payment again

Managing your payment methods

You can add, remove, or update your saved cards at any time:

• Go to your Profile (click your name in the top right)
• Select "Payment Methods" from the navigation
• View all your saved cards and their status
• Click "Add New Card" to add a new payment method
• Set any card as your default payment method
• Remove old or expired cards by clicking the delete option

Adding a new card

To add a new card to your account:

• Go to Profile > Payment Methods
• Click "Add New Card"
• Enter your card details (number, expiry, CVV)
• Complete any 3D Secure verification required by your bank
• The card will be saved for future payments
• You can set it as your default payment method

Payment security

Your payment details are always secure with Servella:

• We use Stripe, a leading payment processor trusted by millions of businesses
• Your card details are encrypted and never stored on our servers
• All payments are protected by 3D Secure authentication where supported
• We're PCI DSS compliant, meeting the highest security standards

Checking your invoice status

You can view the status of all your payments in the Invoices section:

• Go to your dashboard and click "Invoices"
• Each invoice shows its status: Paid, Issued, Draft, or Voided
• "Paid" means the payment was successful
• "Issued" means an invoice has been generated and payment is pending
• You can download PDF copies of any invoice for your records

Still having problems?

If you've tried the steps above and your payment still isn't working, please contact our support team. When you get in touch, it helps to include:

• The error message you're seeing (if any)
• Which card you're trying to use (last 4 digits only)
• When you attempted the payment
• Any feedback from your bank if you've contacted them
• We'll investigate and help resolve the issue as quickly as possible