TL;DR
If you see Oops! Your payment failed., click Update payment info to open Stripe billing. If a banner says your subscription expired (grace period or full expiry), click Renew Subscription (or update payment) to restore access. Until fixed, Add Book/Import and some editor features may be blocked.
Table of contents
User summary
Storyloft shows clear recovery UI when a card fails or a subscription lapses—so you can update payment without guessing. Authors searching for payment failed or Renew Subscription should use the overlay/banner CTAs into Stripe or /subscribe. Fixing billing restores full Books and editor features that were locked during the failed/expired state.
What it does
Payment failed overlay:
- Heading Oops! Your payment failed.
- Body asks you to update payment information
- Button Update payment info (Opening…) → Stripe Customer Portal
Expired / lapsed banner:
- Grace: Your subscription has expired {N} days ago. You’re in a grace period with limited access.
- Expired: Your subscription has expired. Please renew to restore full access.
- Button Renew Subscription →
/subscribe
Related: Renew Subscription dialogs when export/publish actions are blocked.
Steps
Step 1 — Read the message you see
Note whether it’s the full-screen/overlay payment failure or the top banner about expiry/grace.
Step 2 — For payment failed, update payment info
Click Update payment info. Complete Stripe portal updates for your card. If told No billing account found. Please subscribe first., go to Subscribe instead.
Step 3 — For expired/lapsed, renew
Click Renew Subscription on the banner (or Subscribe from Account/Books upgrade CTAs) and complete checkout.
Step 4 — Return to Books
Refresh or navigate to Books. Confirm the overlay/banner is gone.
Step 5 — Retry blocked actions
Try Add Book, Import File, or previously blocked editor exports.
Step 6 — Confirm plan in Manage Account
Open Manage Account → Billing & Subscription and verify Plan: / Renews: look correct. Use Manage Billing for future card changes.
Step 7 — Contact support only if portal fails
If Could not open payment settings persists after retries, gather the exact toast text for support.
Tips
- Update the card on file before the grace period ends.
- Payment-failed state can hide Upgrade to Pro while the overlay is active—use Update payment info.
- Collaborators on someone else’s book may not see owner billing overlays the same way.
- Keep invoices via Stripe Manage Billing.
FAQ
What does Oops! Your payment failed mean?
Storyloft couldn’t charge your subscription card. Use Update payment info to fix billing.
What’s the difference between the overlay and the banner?
Overlay = payment failure blocking access actions. Banner = expired/lapsed subscription with renew CTA (including grace-period wording).
How do I renew?
Click Renew Subscription or visit /subscribe and complete payment.
Can I still read my books while expired?
Access may be limited—renew to restore full features. Don’t rely on partial access lasting.
Will updating payment restore Publish?
Yes once the subscription is active again on an eligible Unlimited/Lifetime plan for Publish.
Where else can I manage billing?
Manage Account → Manage Billing.