If a member tries to pay by card during online joining and can't, the cause is almost always one of a small set of configuration issues on your side, or a transient problem with their card. This article walks through what to check on your side first, then what to ask the member if everything is set up correctly.

Check 1: Is ClubRight Pay Card connected?

Card payments require ClubRight Pay Card to be connected and active on your ClubRight account. If it is not connected, the Card option will not appear at checkout for any plan.

Open Settings from the burger menu.
Under Finance & Billing, check that ClubRight Pay Card is connected.

If it is not connected, you will need to set it up before card payments can be taken. See Setting up ClubRight Pay Card.

Check 2: Is Card enabled on the plan?

Each membership plan has its own list of allowed payment methods. If Card is not enabled on the specific plan the member is trying to join, the Card option will not appear at their checkout.

Go to Settings > Membership Plans.
Click the three dots on the plan card and select Edit.
Scroll to the Payment section.
Tick the Card checkbox if it is not already ticked.
Click Save Changes.

Check 3: Is the plan available online?

A plan must be set to In-Club + Online to appear in the online joining flow. If the plan is set to In-Club Only, the member will not see it at all on your Become a Member page, regardless of payment method.

Open the plan in the editor as above.
Scroll to the Availability section.
Set Plan Availability to In-Club + Online.
Click Save Changes.

See Online joining process for the full prospect journey.

If the above is all set up correctly

If ClubRight Pay Card is connected, Card is enabled on the plan, and the plan is available online, but the member still cannot pay, the issue is likely with their card or the payment attempt itself. Common reasons:

Card declined. The member's bank rejected the transaction. Insufficient funds, a daily spending limit, or a fraud check may all trigger this. Ask the member to check their bank or try a different card.
3D Secure verification failed. Many cards require an extra verification step (a text code from the bank, or a banking app approval). If the member did not complete this step in time, the payment will fail. Ask them to try again and complete the verification when prompted.
Card details entered incorrectly. A typo in the card number, expiry date, or CVV will cause the payment to fail. Ask the member to re-enter their details carefully.
Card expired or replaced. Members occasionally try to pay with an old card that has been reissued. Ask them to use their current card.
International card not supported. ClubRight Pay Card supports most UK and major international cards. Some niche cards, prepaid cards, or cards from certain countries may not work. The member may need to try a different card.

Talking to the member

When a card payment fails, the member's bank reports the failure reason back to ClubRight, but the detail is often limited (for example, "Declined" with no further explanation). The member's bank will know more. If the issue is not obvious from your side, the fastest path is usually:

Ask the member to check their bank statement or banking app for a declined transaction.
If they see one, ask them to phone their bank to ask why it was declined.
Suggest they try a different card if they have one.
As a fallback, offer Direct Debit as an alternative payment method if it is enabled on the plan.

Helpful tip

💡 Test your own joining flow once a month. Sign up as a test prospect using a personal email and a card payment to confirm everything works end-to-end. This catches misconfigurations before real prospects hit them.

Have more questions about card payments?

If you have a question that is not covered here, our Customer Success team is happy to help. Reach out via the orange chat button at the bottom right of your ClubRight dashboard.

Why can't my member pay by card online?