Stripe Revenue Recovery Settings: Complete Configuration Guide (2026)

// Check your current subscription settings programmatically
// Note: not all settings are API-accessible; some are Dashboard-only

// Check Smart Retries and retry schedule
const settings = await stripe.accounts.retrieve();
console.log('Account ID:', settings.id);

// Check a specific subscription's collection behavior
const sub = await stripe.subscriptions.retrieve('sub_xxx');
console.log('Collection method:', sub.collection_method);
// Should be "charge_automatically" for SaaS
console.log('Days until due:', sub.days_until_due);
// Should be null (immediate) or 1 for SaaS

// Check billing portal configuration
const configs = await stripe.billingPortal.configurations.list();
for (const config of configs.data) {
  console.log('Portal config:', config.id);
  console.log('Card update enabled:',
    config.features.payment_method_update.enabled
  );
}

// When creating subscriptions, enforce optimal settings
const subscription = await stripe.subscriptions.create({
  customer: 'cus_xxx',
  items: [{ price: 'price_xxx' }],
  collection_method: 'charge_automatically',
  // Don't set days_until_due for auto-charge (it's immediate)
  payment_behavior: 'default_incomplete',
  payment_settings: {
    save_default_payment_method: 'on_subscription',
    payment_method_options: {
      card: {
        request_three_d_secure: 'automatic',
      },
    },
  },
});

// Update existing subscriptions to use optimal collection
const updated = await stripe.subscriptions.update('sub_xxx', {
  collection_method: 'charge_automatically',
});

console.log('Updated:', updated.id, updated.collection_method);

// Configure what happens when all retries are exhausted
// This is set at the subscription level via the API
const subscription = await stripe.subscriptions.create({
  customer: 'cus_xxx',
  items: [{ price: 'price_xxx' }],
  // When all retries fail, mark as unpaid (don't cancel)
  // This is controlled by your Dashboard settings, but you can
  // also handle it via webhook:
});

// Listen for invoice.payment_failed and take action
app.post('/webhooks/stripe', async (req, res) => {
  const event = stripe.webhooks.constructEvent(req.body, sig, secret);

  if (event.type === 'invoice.payment_failed') {
    const invoice = event.data.object;
    const attemptCount = invoice.attempt_count;

    console.log(`Payment failed for ${invoice.customer}`);
    console.log(`Attempt #${attemptCount}`);
    console.log(`Next retry: ${invoice.next_payment_attempt
      ? new Date(invoice.next_payment_attempt * 1000)
      : 'No more retries'
    }`);

    // If this is the final attempt, trigger your own recovery
    if (!invoice.next_payment_attempt) {
      console.log('All Stripe retries exhausted. starting extended recovery');
      await startExtendedRecovery(invoice.customer, invoice.id);
    }
  }

  res.json({ received: true });
});

// Recovery rate modeling for a SaaS at $20K MRR
// with 5% monthly payment failure rate ($1,000 at risk)

const scenarios = {
  stripeDefaults: {
    smartRetries: false,
    postRetry: 'cancel',        // Loses customer permanently
    customerEmail: false,        // Customer doesn't know
    recoveryRate: 0.10,          // ~10% recovery
    recovered: '$100/mo',
    lost: '$900/mo',
  },

  stripeOptimized: {
    smartRetries: true,          // ML-based retry timing
    postRetry: 'unpaid',         // Preserves the subscription
    customerEmail: true,         // Customer gets notified
    portalEnabled: true,         // Self-service card update
    recoveryRate: 0.25,          // ~25% recovery
    recovered: '$250/mo',
    lost: '$750/mo',
  },

  stripeOptimizedPlusSaveMRR: {
    smartRetries: true,          // Stripe handles retries
    sevenEmailDunning: true,     // SaveMRR handles dunning
    preDunning: true,            // Card expiry alerts
    oneClickCardUpdate: true,    // Fresh links in every email
    recoveryTracking: true,      // Real-time analytics
    recoveryRate: 0.47,          // ~47% recovery (average)
    recovered: '$470/mo',
    lost: '$530/mo',
    savemrrCost: '$19/mo',       // Early-bird pricing
    netGain: '$451/mo',          // After SaveMRR cost
  },
};

// The gap between optimized Stripe ($250) and
// optimized Stripe + SaveMRR ($470) is $220/mo.
// SaveMRR costs $19/mo. That's an 11.6x ROI.