When you have more than one payment method on file, you can choose which is used by default and which steps in if the first one fails.
#Default vs. auto-pay primary
There are two related, but separate, settings:
- Default — the method offered first when you click pay on any invoice. You can always pick a different one at checkout.
- Auto-pay primary — the method that auto-pay charges automatically when an eligible invoice comes due.
Most accounts set the same method as both, but you can split them if you want, for example, an ACH primary for auto-pay (low fees) but a card as the default for one-off manual payments.
#Setting a default
On any saved method in Billing -> Payment Methods, click Set as Default. We will confirm and switch it. There is always exactly one default — promoting a new one demotes the old one.
#Auto-pay: primary and backup
When you turn on auto-pay you walk through a short wizard:
- Pick which invoice types should auto-pay (Subscription, Storage and fulfillment, Sales orders).
- Pick a Primary Method — charged first.
- Optionally pick a Backup Method — charged only if the primary fails.
- Confirm with your password.
If the primary method fails on an auto-pay run, we automatically retry on the backup. If the backup also fails — or you did not set one — the invoice stays Unpaid and we email your team so someone can fix the method or pay manually.
#Switching the primary
Open Billing -> Payment Methods and choose Modify on the auto-pay panel. Walk through the wizard again, pick a different primary or backup, and confirm with your password. Auto-pay updates right away.
#What if I only have one method?
You can still use auto-pay, but there is no backup, so a single failed charge leaves the invoice Unpaid. We recommend keeping at least two methods on file.