Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about automated payment recovery
What is CertNode Recover?
Recover automatically works failed subscription payments through branded dunning emails and hosted card-update pages. When an invoice fails, dunning starts within seconds; when the customer updates their card, Stripe recharges it. No manual work required.
How much does it cost?
$0 per month. We charge a 25% success fee only when we actually recover a payment. $5 minimum fee on small recoveries. If we don't recover it, you pay nothing. If a recovered payment is later disputed, we refund our fee.
How is this different from Stripe's built-in retries?
Stripe's Smart Retries handle the recharge attempts. Recover adds payday-aligned dunning timing (nudging the customer around the 1st and 15th when bank accounts are funded), branded dunning email sequences with escalating urgency, hosted card-update pages where customers fix their payment without logging in, and SMS dunning. Together, these recover significantly more revenue than Stripe's retries alone.
What types of payment failures does Recover handle?
All of them, but each differently. Insufficient funds: dunning timed to paydays. Expired card: card-update email immediately. Card declined: spaced, escalating dunning. Each decline code gets the dunning strategy most likely to bring the payment back.
Will my customers see CertNode?
No. Dunning emails are sent with your business name and brand color. The card update page is also branded with your business. Your customers will never see the CertNode name.
What are the dunning emails?
Recover sends up to 6 emails over 28 days, escalating from a friendly heads-up to a final notice. Each email includes a one-click link to update their card. All emails are branded with your business name and color.
What is SMS dunning?
Starting on day 7, Recover can send recovery text messages in addition to emails. You bring your own Twilio account and credentials. SMS is optional and can be enabled in Settings.
What are proof receipts?
Every successful recovery gets an RFC 3161 certified timestamp — cryptographic proof of when and how the payment was recovered, structured to the FRE 902(13)/(14) self-authenticating standard for digital evidence.
What is the difficulty score?
Each recovery gets a 1-100 difficulty score based on the number of dunning touches needed, decline code changes, time to recover, and recovery method. Higher scores mean harder recoveries. This helps you understand the value Recover is providing.
How do I get started?
Install Recover from the Stripe App Marketplace, go to Settings, enable recovery, and set your brand name and color. That's it. Every failed subscription invoice is automatically tracked and recovered.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Disable recovery in Settings or uninstall the app. No contracts, no cancellation fees. Active recovery attempts will complete but no new ones will start.
Do you also use CertNode Reflex?
If you also use CertNode Reflex (our chargeback defense app), Recover's success fee drops from 25% to 20%. This discount is applied automatically.