Overview
Donors and staff sometimes notice that recurring donations continue processing successfully even after a credit card's expiration date has passed. This is normal behavior and occurs due to automatic card update services.
How It Works
Card Account Updater Services
When a credit card expires, the issuing bank (e.g., Chase, Bank of America) typically:
Issues a replacement card with a new expiration date
Notifies payment processors like Stripe about the updated card details
Continues to honor charges made to the old card number, routing them to the new card
This process is called "card account updating" and happens automatically between banks and payment processors.
Goodworld's Automatic Handling
Goodworld recently added automatic handling for these updates:
When Stripe receives new card details from the bank, those updates are reflected in Goodworld
The last four digits and expiration date are automatically updated
No action is required from the donor or staff
When Cards Show as Expired But Still Work
What's Happening
If you see a card with a past expiration date that's still processing successfully:
The bank has rotated the card to a new one
The bank is identifying and routing the charge to the updated card
Stripe (and therefore Goodworld) may not have received the updated details yet
What to Do
While the card will likely continue working, it's best practice to have the donor update their card details proactively:
Best approach: Direct the donor to update their payment method: https://[your-subdomain].goodworld.me/settings?section=payment
This prevents any potential issues if the bank stops honoring the old card details.
Best Practices for Staff
If a recurring donation is working: Don't interrupt it unnecessarily
If setting up a new recurring plan: Use the current card on file if it's been processing successfully
If concerned about future issues: Send the donor a friendly reminder to update their payment method
If a payment fails: Then reach out for updated card information