# The charge failed, or the card was declined

> What the system tells you, what it does not tell you, and what to do in each of the two cases.

## What you will get

The ability to tell apart two failures that look the same and are not: **the
charge could not be created**, and **the student tried to pay and could not**.
The first is the school's problem; the second is on the student's side.

## Case 1: the charge was not created

This happens when the automatic routine tries to issue and cannot, or when you
click **Issue Boleto** and the system refuses.

**In this case the school is told.** When the failure comes from the automatic
routine, whoever administers the EduPay account receives an email saying which
installment did not go out.

![Red band at the top of the enrollment screen, carrying the error message from the failed attempt](/Apps/edupay/ajuda/parcelas-erro-cobranca.png)
*The message appears in red at the top of the enrollment screen, right after the attempt.*

The most common causes, in order:

- **The account that receives the money has disconnected.** Without it there is
  nowhere for the payment to go, and no charge is generated. It is by far the
  most frequent cause, and it hits every installment at once.
- **Something is missing on the student's record.** Payment slips require a tax
  ID and an address; that is the bank's requirement, not EduPay's. Complete the
  student's record and issue again.
- **The bank's service was down.** In that case, trying again later usually
  works.

## Case 2: the student tried to pay and could not

A declined card is the typical example. The student opens the link, enters their
details and their bank refuses.

> [erro]
> **In this case nobody at the school is notified by email.** The system records
> the attempt on the installment itself, but sends no alert. In practice: the
> installment stays **Open**, and you only find out by looking, or when the
> student complains.
>
> That is why a weekly look at the arrears list is worth more than waiting for a
> notice that never comes.

**And the school does not get the reason for the refusal.** The student's bank
does not pass it on — for security, and because the information is theirs. A
maxed-out limit, an expired card and a fraud block all arrive as one generic
decline.

What to do: ask the student to try another card **through the same link**, which
stays valid. If they prefer, you can offer another payment method.

## How to tell it worked

> [certo]
> Once the cause is resolved, issue again from the three-dot menu. The
> installment's **CHARGE** column leaves the dash behind and starts showing the
> link.

## If something goes wrong

> [erro]
> **Every installment in the school stopped being issued at once.** It is almost
> always the payment account having disconnected. Whoever administers the EduPay
> account fixes it by reconnecting.
>
> **Only one student's installments fail.** Then it is their record. Check the
> tax ID and the address on their file.
>
> **The student insists the card is fine.** It probably is — the refusal can
> come from their bank for another reason. It is not worth arguing: another card
> or another payment method resolves it faster.


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https://edupay.estudiosite.com/en/ajuda/troubleshooting/the-charge-failed-what-to-do
2026-08-04