PaidrelayMidjourney card declined or payment failed: why it happens and what to do
Midjourney charges cards through Stripe, both for the first subscription and for every renewal. A decline can stop you at checkout, or it can show up later as a plan marked Paused after a renewal did not go through. Either way the fix starts with the card and your bank. This guide covers both cases and what to do if no card you have is accepted.
Why Midjourney declines a card
The line on screen is Stripe's customer text. The code behind it, per Stripe's decline codes reference, is one of these:
- generic_decline: "The card was declined for an unknown reason or Stripe Radar or Adaptive Acceptance blocked the payment." Fraud-related codes are shown to you the same way.
- card_not_supported: "The card doesn't support this type of purchase." Often a PIN-only debit card or a card with cross-border limits. See that message explained.
- authentication_required: the bank asked for 3D Secure and it was not completed.
- insufficient_funds or currency_not_supported: the balance, or the card's currency settings, did not allow a U.S. dollar charge.
Merchants on Stripe can also block by card funding type, prepaid, debit or credit, and by a mismatch between card country and IP country (Stripe Radar rules reference). We found no official Midjourney list of refused card types, so a failed prepaid card is a hint, not proof.
Banks cause the rest: a block on the first payment to a foreign merchant, international online payments switched off by default, or a monthly cap on foreign-currency spending. Country rules matter too. Brazil adds IOF on international card purchases, Japan requires 3-D Secure for online card payments, and Indian recurring card payments fall under RBI e-mandate rules, which can stop renewals that need a fresh approval.
Plan shows Paused after a failed renewal
Midjourney's documentation describes what happens when a renewal payment fails: the subscription is paused, and if the payment is still not fixed, it is cancelled later. While paused you cannot use the paid plan. Updating the card and paying the open invoice is what brings it back.
A paused plan can still be resumed by fixing the payment. Once it is cancelled you start a new subscription. Fix the card soon after you see the Paused status.
Midjourney plan paid for you
Your own plan, paid via its checkout link. Refund if we can't pay (minus the network fee).
OrderWhat to try first
- Open Manage Subscription on your Midjourney account page and update the payment method, or retry the open invoice with the same card.
- Check the details: card number, expiry, CVC and billing postcode exactly as your bank holds them.
- Keep the banking app open and approve the 3D Secure prompt. Renewals that need approval are a common reason for a Paused plan.
- Enable international online payments and check the card's online limit.
- Ask the bank whether it refused a charge from Midjourney and ask it to allow the merchant, then retry once.
- Use another credit or debit card in your own name if the bank says it approved nothing and the checkout still fails.
- Space out retries. Many attempts in a row can make fraud rules block the next one too.
The same Stripe decline appears on other AI tools; ChatGPT card declined walks through it for OpenAI's checkout.
When nothing works: we pay your own Midjourney plan
We found no official Midjourney gift subscription, so there is no gift code to buy. Paidrelay uses the link route instead:
- Sign in to your own Midjourney account and open the checkout for the plan you want.
- Copy the payment link and order at /order?plan=other, with "Midjourney", the plan name and the price shown at checkout.
- Pay the total in crypto. We pay the link with our card and email you when it is done.
Stripe checkout links expire, by default 24 hours after they are created, so send a fresh link. Sign-in is only a last resort, done while you are online with us, and you change your password afterwards. Sharing a login breaks most services' terms and the account could be restricted.
The total is the plan price × 1.15, rounded up to the cent, shown as one number before you pay. Use the price on Midjourney's checkout with tax included; see AI subscription prices with tax for why it differs by country.
Midjourney's terms do not allow reselling or redistributing access. We do not sell Midjourney accounts or access. We only pay the customer's own plan on the customer's own account.
Delivery is usually within 2 hours of payment confirmation, 09:00–21:00 UTC, and at most 24 hours. If we can't complete the payment for your plan, we refund the full amount you paid, in the same coin, minus only the network fee of the refund transfer. See how it works and paying in crypto. Paidrelay is not affiliated with Midjourney.
Midjourney plan paid for you
Your own plan, paid via its checkout link. Refund if we can't pay (minus the network fee).
OrderQuestions
Why is my Midjourney plan Paused?
Midjourney pauses a subscription when a renewal payment fails, and cancels it later if the payment is not fixed. Update your card in Manage Subscription and pay the open invoice to resume.
Why does Midjourney decline my card when it works in shops?
Online payments to a foreign merchant are checked differently. Your bank may block the first charge, need a 3D Secure approval, or have international online payments switched off. Fraud rules at checkout can also refuse a card.
Is there a Midjourney gift subscription?
We found no official Midjourney gift subscription. That is why we pay your plan through its checkout link instead of sending a gift code.
How is the total for a Midjourney order calculated?
The total is the plan price shown at Midjourney's checkout, tax included, multiplied by 1.15 and rounded up to the cent. You see it as one number before you pay.