# Handle failed or pending payments

Category: Billing

Before you start: confirm the correct school and role. Use approved source records; perform live changes only within your assigned authority.

1. Open the family billing account.
2. Review payment status and failure reason.
3. Confirm whether another payment already succeeded.
4. If a checkout is still open or processing, do not create duplicate checkout links.
5. Use the dunning or reminder workflow when available.
6. Contact the family with approved language.
7. Escalate repeated failures, disputes, refunds, and account ownership questions.

## Verify the result

Status, invoice, payment attempt and ledger agree before any retry.

## If something goes wrong

Processing or an uncertain result is not permission to charge again. Wait for pending actions; reopen the record before retrying an uncertain save or send.

Source: sources/BILLING_ADMIN_SOP.md — Failed Or Pending Payment Procedure. Prepared October 8, 2026. SOP snapshot e06ad8d5; current source corrections are identified above. Written procedure; not a recording of a completed live action.