This article covers what to expect and how to prepare when migrating to a new payment processor in Keap™, including why recurring payments may fail after migration, how to proactively notify customers to re-enter their card information, and what changes occur to stored credit cards due to payment tokenization. This article does not cover how to connect a new payment processor. For help connecting a payment processor, see how to connect a payment processor in Keap.

Why Some Recurring Payments Fail When Switching Payment Processors

When switching to a new payment processor in Keap, a percentage of recurring credit card transactions may fail the next time they run. Most recurring transactions will process successfully, but two factors can cause failures for a subset of customers:

• Expired cards — Cards that expire during the migration period will not have updated card information on file with the new processor.

• Bank security blocks — A customer's bank may block a transaction because the payment is originating from a different source than what was previously established. Bank security algorithms are designed to flag unexpected changes to protect account holders. The longer a subscription has been recurring on the previous processor, the higher the likelihood of a decline after migration.

How to Prevent Recurring Payment Failures During Migration

The most effective way to prevent card declines after a payment processor migration is to have customers re-submit their card information before the migration occurs. Re-entering card information establishes the new payment pathway and signals to the customer's bank that the transaction is legitimate.

The recommended approach is to send an email broadcast to customers explaining the upcoming change and linking to a zero dollar order form or checkout form. The zero dollar form allows customers to enter and save their card information without being charged.

Step 1 — Create a Zero Dollar Order Form or Checkout Form

Keap Ultimate:

1. Create an order form in Keap Ultimate with a zero dollar product.

2. After saving the form, copy the Order Form link to use in the email broadcast in Step 2.

Keap Pro and Max:

1. Create a checkout form in Keap Pro or Max with a zero dollar product.

2. After saving the form, copy the Checkout Form link to use in the email broadcast in Step 2.

Step 2 — Send an Email Broadcast to Customers

Send an email broadcast to customers explaining the payment processor change and linking to the zero dollar form created in Step 1. Update all placeholder text in brackets before sending.

Keap Ultimate: See how to send or schedule an email broadcast in Keap Ultimate.

Keap Pro and Max: See how to create an email broadcast in Keap Pro and Max.

The following sample email can be adapted for the broadcast. Replace all text in brackets with the appropriate values before sending.

Other Changes to Be Aware of When Migrating to Keap Pay

Keap Pay uses a security process called tokenization to protect sensitive credit card data. Rather than storing raw credit card numbers, Keap stores a unique identifier — called a token — for each card. Once a Keap Pay account is active, credit cards saved to contact records are automatically converted to tokens and verified with Keap Pay and any other connected merchant accounts. For more information about tokenized payment methods and the transition process, see how tokenized payment methods work in Keap Pay.

After tokenization is complete, credit cards saved to contact records will appear differently in the account. The following screenshots show examples of how tokenized credit cards appear in each Keap version.

Keap Pro and Max

The screenshot above shows how a tokenized credit card appears on a Keap Pro and Max contact record after tokenization. The card is displayed with the card type, last four digits, and expiration date — raw card data is not stored or displayed.

Keap Ultimate

The screenshot above shows how a tokenized credit card appears on a Keap Ultimate contact record after tokenization.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this article cover?

This article covers what to expect and how to prepare when migrating to a new payment processor in Keap, including why recurring payments may fail, how to notify customers proactively, and what changes occur due to payment tokenization. For help connecting a payment processor, see how to connect a payment processor in Keap.

Notifying customers about the change may cause some to cancel their subscription. What should I do?

Some customers with inactive or unused subscriptions — sometimes called zombie subscriptions — may choose to cancel when prompted to update their card information rather than continue. The most effective way to reduce this risk is to develop a re-engagement plan before the migration. Communicating additional value or reinforcing the benefits of the product or service ahead of the migration gives customers a reason to stay. Some cancellations may be unavoidable for genuinely disengaged customers.

Do Keap Ultimate users need to update their order forms before migrating to Keap Pay?

Keap Ultimate users with order form themes created before April 2023 will need to update those themes before processing payments through Keap Pay. Themes created before April 2023 are not compatible with Keap Pay. For instructions on updating order form themes, see how to update order form themes for Keap Pay in Keap Ultimate.