How smart retries work
Why retry timing matters more than retry count, and how Omesta schedules them.
Stripe's default retry schedule is fixed: day 3, day 5, day 7. Omesta's is dynamic, and that's where most of the extra recovery comes from.
Decline-code-aware timing
A do_not_honor decline usually means the bank wants another few days. An insufficient_funds decline often clears within 48 hours of the customer's next paycheck. We model decline code → optimal retry window from 12M+ historical retries and schedule accordingly.
Time-of-day targeting
Retries land best between 10am and 2pm in the customer's local time zone. That's when balances are freshest. We default to that window unless you override it.
Retry budget
We cap retries at 4 per failed invoice by default. Going past that burns goodwill without meaningfully improving recovery. You can raise or lower this per-workspace in Settings → Recovery.
What the results look like
Recovery rate on smart-retry-enabled accounts averages 72% vs 38% for default Stripe retries across our customer base. The lift is largest on subscription renewals with cards that are about to expire.