Retry Strategies

Retry strategies define automatic retry schedules for failed subscription renewals, with optional discounts to recover failed payments.

What are Retry Strategies?

When a subscription renewal payment fails, Flintn can automatically retry the charge according to a predefined schedule. Retry strategies allow you to:

• Configure the timing between retry attempts

• Apply progressive discounts to encourage payment

• Set the maximum number of retry attempts (4 attempts maximum)

How Retry Strategies Work

1. Payment fails - A subscription renewal charge is declined

2. Subscription enters retry state - Status changes to BILLING_RETRY

3. Automatic retries - System retries per the strategy schedule

4. Discount applied - Optional discount on retry attempts

5. Final outcome - Subscription either renews or expires after max retries

Quick Reference

ID	Name	Billing Period	Discount Pattern
1	Weekly: No Discount	< 1 month	0% / 0% / 0% / 0%
2	Weekly: 25% Last	< 1 month	0% / 0% / 0% / 25%
3	Weekly: 50% Third	< 1 month	0% / 0% / 50% / 0%
4	Weekly: 75% Last	< 1 month	0% / 0% / 0% / 75%
5	Weekly: 25%+50% Last	< 1 month	0% / 0% / 25% / 50%
6	Weekly: Progressive	< 1 month	10% / 25% / 50% / 75%
7	Weekly: Aggressive Progressive	< 1 month	25% / 50% / 75% / 75%
8	Weekly: Gradual Escalation	< 1 month	0% / 15% / 40% / 65%
9	Monthly: No Discount	>= 1 month	0% / 0% / 0% / 0%
10	Monthly: 25% Last	>= 1 month	0% / 0% / 0% / 25%
11	Monthly: 50% Last	>= 1 month	0% / 0% / 0% / 50%
12	Monthly: 75% Last	>= 1 month	0% / 0% / 0% / 75%
13	Monthly: 25%+50% Last	>= 1 month	0% / 0% / 25% / 50%
14	Monthly: Progressive	>= 1 month	0% / 25% / 50% / 75%
15	Monthly: Aggressive Progressive	>= 1 month	25% / 50% / 50% / 75%
16	Monthly: Gradual Escalation	>= 1 month	0% / 15% / 40% / 65%
17	Monthly: 30% Last	>= 1 month	0% / 0% / 0% / 30%
18	Monthly: 50% Third	>= 1 month	0% / 0% / 50% / 0%
19	Monthly: Wednesday	>= 1 month	0% / 0% / 0% / 0%
20	Monthly: Friday (Default)	>= 1 month	0% / 0% / 0% / 0%
21	Monthly: Saturday	>= 1 month	0% / 0% / 0% / 0%
22	Monthly: Various Days	>= 1 month	0% / 0% / 0% / 0%
23	Prepaid: Daily Progressive	Any	10% / 25% / 50% / 75%

You can also retrieve the full list via API:

curl -X GET https://api.flintn.com/v1/retry-strategies \
  -H "X-Api-Key: pk_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

Weekly Strategies (IDs 1-8)

For subscriptions with billing periods of less than one month.

Retry schedule: 1 day after failure → next Friday → 2 days later → 5 days later

ID 1 — Weekly: No Discount

No discounts on any retry attempt. The full amount is charged each time, relying on the customer to resolve their payment issue.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($29.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$29.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	0%	$29.99
Retry 3	+2 days	0%	$29.99
Retry 4	+5 days	0%	$29.99

When to use: High-value weekly subscriptions where discounting hurts more than losing the occasional customer.

ID 2 — Weekly: 25% Last

First three retries at full price, then a 25% discount on the final attempt as a last resort.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($29.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$29.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	0%	$29.99
Retry 3	+2 days	0%	$29.99
Retry 4	+5 days	25%	$22.49

When to use: You want to maximize full-price recovery but offer a small discount before the subscription expires.

ID 3 — Weekly: 50% Third

A 50% discount on the third retry only, with full price on all other attempts. Useful for creating a mid-cycle incentive.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($29.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$29.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	0%	$29.99
Retry 3	+2 days	50%	$15.00
Retry 4	+5 days	0%	$29.99

When to use: You want to offer one significant discount mid-cycle without committing to progressive discounting.

ID 4 — Weekly: 75% Last

Full price for the first three attempts, then a steep 75% discount on the final retry. A strong last-chance incentive.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($29.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$29.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	0%	$29.99
Retry 3	+2 days	0%	$29.99
Retry 4	+5 days	75%	$7.50

When to use: You'd rather recover a small amount than lose the customer entirely, but only as a last resort.

ID 5 — Weekly: 25%+50% Last

Discounts kick in on the third and fourth retries (25% then 50%), keeping the first two attempts at full price.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($29.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$29.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	0%	$29.99
Retry 3	+2 days	25%	$22.49
Retry 4	+5 days	50%	$15.00

When to use: A balanced approach — attempt full-price recovery first, then gradually increase the incentive.

ID 6 — Weekly: Progressive

Progressive discounts from the very first retry: 10% → 25% → 50% → 75%. Maximizes the chance of recovering the payment at some price point.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($29.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	10%	$26.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	25%	$22.49
Retry 3	+2 days	50%	$15.00
Retry 4	+5 days	75%	$7.50

When to use: Price-sensitive customers where recovering something is better than losing everything.

ID 7 — Weekly: Aggressive Progressive

Starts with a 25% discount and escalates to 75%. The most aggressive discount schedule for weekly billing.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($29.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	25%	$22.49
Retry 2	Next Friday	50%	$15.00
Retry 3	+2 days	75%	$7.50
Retry 4	+5 days	75%	$7.50

When to use: Maximum recovery priority — you'd rather keep the customer at any price than let the subscription expire.

ID 8 — Weekly: Gradual Escalation

No discount on the first retry, then a smooth escalation: 15% → 40% → 65%. A middle ground between no discounts and aggressive progressive.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($29.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$29.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	15%	$25.49
Retry 3	+2 days	40%	$18.00
Retry 4	+5 days	65%	$10.50

When to use: You want escalating discounts but prefer to attempt full price first.

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Monthly Strategies (IDs 9-18)

For subscriptions with billing periods of one month or longer.

Retry schedule: 1 day after failure → next Friday → 9 days later → 19 days later

The wider spacing gives customers more time to resolve payment issues (e.g., waiting for the next paycheck).

ID 9 — Monthly: No Discount

No discounts on any retry attempt. Full price every time, spread over approximately 30 days.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($49.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$49.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	0%	$49.99
Retry 3	+9 days	0%	$49.99
Retry 4	+19 days	0%	$49.99

When to use: High-value monthly subscriptions where you want to preserve the full price.

ID 10 — Monthly: 25% Last

Full price for three retries, then a 25% discount on the final attempt.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($49.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$49.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	0%	$49.99
Retry 3	+9 days	0%	$49.99
Retry 4	+19 days	25%	$37.49

When to use: Conservative discount approach — small incentive only as a last resort.

ID 11 — Monthly: 50% Last

Full price for three retries, then a 50% discount on the final attempt.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($49.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$49.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	0%	$49.99
Retry 3	+9 days	0%	$49.99
Retry 4	+19 days	50%	$25.00

When to use: You want a meaningful final-attempt discount without discounting earlier retries.

ID 12 — Monthly: 75% Last

Full price for three retries, then a steep 75% discount on the final attempt.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($49.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$49.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	0%	$49.99
Retry 3	+9 days	0%	$49.99
Retry 4	+19 days	75%	$12.50

When to use: You'd rather recover a fraction of the amount than let a monthly subscriber churn.

ID 13 — Monthly: 25%+50% Last

Discounts on the third and fourth retries (25% then 50%), keeping the first two at full price.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($49.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$49.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	0%	$49.99
Retry 3	+9 days	25%	$37.49
Retry 4	+19 days	50%	$25.00

When to use: Balanced approach for monthly plans — try full price first, then escalate discounts.

ID 14 — Monthly: Progressive

Discounts start on the second retry and escalate: 25% → 50% → 75%.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($49.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$49.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	25%	$37.49
Retry 3	+9 days	50%	$25.00
Retry 4	+19 days	75%	$12.50

When to use: Price-sensitive customer base where recovery rate matters more than per-payment revenue.

ID 15 — Monthly: Aggressive Progressive

Starts discounting from the first retry: 25% → 50% → 50% → 75%. The most aggressive monthly strategy.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($49.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	25%	$37.49
Retry 2	Next Friday	50%	$25.00
Retry 3	+9 days	50%	$25.00
Retry 4	+19 days	75%	$12.50

When to use: Maximum recovery priority for monthly plans — retain the subscriber at any cost.

ID 16 — Monthly: Gradual Escalation

No discount on the first retry, then a smooth escalation: 15% → 40% → 65%.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($49.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$49.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	15%	$42.49
Retry 3	+9 days	40%	$30.00
Retry 4	+19 days	65%	$17.50

When to use: Middle ground — attempt full price first, then gradually increase the incentive.

ID 17 — Monthly: 30% Last

Full price for three retries, then a 30% discount on the final attempt.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($49.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$49.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	0%	$49.99
Retry 3	+9 days	0%	$49.99
Retry 4	+19 days	30%	$35.00

When to use: Similar to ID 10 but with a slightly larger last-attempt discount.

ID 18 — Monthly: 50% Third

A 50% discount on the third retry only, with full price on all other attempts.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($49.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$49.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	0%	$49.99
Retry 3	+9 days	50%	$25.00
Retry 4	+19 days	0%	$49.99

When to use: Single mid-cycle incentive — one big discount to catch customers who need a push, then back to full price.

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Day-Specific Strategies (IDs 19-22)

These strategies retry on specific days of the week to align with common paydays and maximize payment success rates.

ID 19 — Monthly: Wednesday

Targets Wednesdays for retry attempts. No discounts. Attempt 3 retries on the next Wednesday or after 7 days, whichever comes first.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($49.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$49.99
Retry 2	Next Wednesday	0%	$49.99
Retry 3	Next Wednesday (or +7 days)	0%	$49.99
Retry 4	+14 days	0%	$49.99

When to use: Your customer base tends to receive funds mid-week.

ID 20 — Monthly: Friday (Default) ⭐

This is the default strategy when none is specified.

Targets Fridays for retry attempts. No discounts. Optimized for payday alignment since many employers pay on Fridays.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($49.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$49.99
Retry 2	Next Friday	0%	$49.99
Retry 3	Next Friday (or +7 days)	0%	$49.99
Retry 4	+14 days	0%	$49.99

When to use: General-purpose default. Good for consumer subscriptions where customers are paid weekly or bi-weekly on Fridays.

ID 21 — Monthly: Saturday

Targets Saturdays for retry attempts. No discounts. Useful when customers are more likely to have funds available on weekends.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($49.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	0%	$49.99
Retry 2	Next Saturday	0%	$49.99
Retry 3	Next Saturday (or +7 days)	0%	$49.99
Retry 4	+14 days	0%	$49.99

When to use: Customer demographics where weekend fund availability is highest.

ID 22 — Monthly: Various Days

Retries at fixed relative intervals without targeting any specific weekday. Spreads retries over approximately 4 weeks.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($49.99)
Retry 1	+2 days	0%	$49.99
Retry 2	+5 days	0%	$49.99
Retry 3	+8 days	0%	$49.99
Retry 4	+13 days	0%	$49.99

When to use: When you don't know which day works best for your customers, or for B2B subscriptions where payday alignment doesn't apply.

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Prepaid Strategy (ID 23)

For prepaid cards and daily billing cycles.

ID 23 — Prepaid: Daily Progressive

Daily retries with aggressive progressive discounts. Designed for prepaid cards where balance may be topped up at any time.

Schedule & Discounts

Attempt	Timing	Discount	Example ($9.99)
Retry 1	+1 day	10%	$8.99
Retry 2	+1 day	25%	$7.49
Retry 3	+1 day	50%	$5.00
Retry 4	+1 day	75%	$2.50

When to use: Prepaid card customers or daily billing models where the card may be reloaded at any time and quick retry cadence is appropriate.

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Choosing a Strategy

Consider these factors when selecting a retry strategy:

Goal	Recommended Strategies	Why
Maximize revenue per retry	ID 1 (weekly) or ID 9 (monthly)	No discounts — relies on customer resolving the issue
Balanced recovery	ID 5 (weekly) or ID 13 (monthly)	Discounts only on later retries
Maximize recovery rate	ID 7 (weekly) or ID 15 (monthly)	Aggressive discounts from first retry
Payday optimization	ID 20 (default)	Retries on Fridays when funds are most likely available
Prepaid / daily billing	ID 23	Daily retries match short billing cycles
Gradual escalation	ID 8 (weekly) or ID 16 (monthly)	Smooth discount curve: 0% → 15% → 40% → 65%

Subscription States During Retry

State	Description
ACTIVE	Subscription is current, payment succeeded
BILLING_RETRY	Payment failed, retry attempts in progress
EXPIRED	All retry attempts exhausted, subscription ended

Webhook Events

Monitor retry activity with these webhook events:

• SUBSCRIPTION_BILLING_RETRY - Sent when a retry attempt is made

• SUBSCRIPTION_RENEWED - Sent when a retry succeeds

• SUBSCRIPTION_EXPIRED - Sent when all retries fail

See Webhooks for webhook configuration.

Next Steps

• Subscription Plans - Configure plans with retry strategies

• Handling Failed Payments - Best practices for payment recovery