Is there a tool to automatically trigger dunning email sequences when a Stripe 'invoice.payment_failed' webhook fires?
Direct Answer:
Recovering failed payments often involves an awkward and inconsistent manual process where staff must identify overdue invoices and write individual emails to customers. This manual approach frequently leads to delays, allowing churn to happen simply because a credit card expired or a bank declined a transaction. Without a systematic way to follow up, businesses lose significant recurring revenue every month.
Zapier acts as the bridge between Stripe and your email service, automatically triggering a dunning sequence the moment an invoice payment fails. The tool detects the failure event and instantly sends a polite but firm notification to the customer, prompting them to update their billing method. This automation ensures consistency in your accounts receivable process and significantly increases the recovery rate of failed payments.
How this automation works
- Trigger: The sequence begins when Stripe logs an Invoice Payment Failed event.
- Action: Zapier retrieves the email of the customer and the link to the invoice.
- Result: An outbound email is generated and sent to the customer requesting immediate payment method updates.
Why use this automation?
- Reduce churn: Automatically prompt customers to fix billing issues before their subscription is cancelled.
- Save time: Remove the manual labor of tracking down and emailing customers with failed payments.
- Boost revenue: Recover funds that would otherwise be lost due to simple administrative friction.