Troubleshooting payment and plan upgrade issues

Last updated: August 19, 2026

If you're experiencing issues upgrading to the Pay As You Go plan or encountering payment errors, here are the most common causes and solutions:

Common Error Messages and Solutions

"Something went wrong. Please try again later"

This is the most common error when upgrading plans. Try these steps:

  1. Clear your browser cache and cookies, then try again

  2. Try using a different browser or incognito/private browsing mode

  3. Ensure your card details are entered correctly (number, expiration date, CVV)

  4. Try using a different payment card if available

  5. Verify your card is authorized for online or international transactions

"[failed_precondition] Team is in delinquent state and cannot change plans"

This error appears when you try to upgrade or downgrade your plan while you have unpaid invoices on your account. Pay off any outstanding invoices from your Billing page first — once your balance is $0, the plan change will go through.

"Failed to create setup intent"

This means your card was never successfully attached as a payment method — the upgrade did not go through, even if your bank shows a pending charge. This can happen if 3D Secure (3DS) verification failed, the browser tab was closed before verification finished, or your bank rejected the attempt after initially approving it.

A pending $5 hold on your bank statement does not mean the upgrade succeeded. If your dashboard still shows "Free" after seeing this error, the payment method was never actually added on our side. To resolve it:

  1. Wait for the pending hold to clear (typically a few days, depending on your bank), then retry adding a payment method.

  2. Try a different card if the issue persists.

  3. Double check you're using the same email/account you intended to upgrade — a billing form filled out under a different email won't attach the card to your team.

Understanding the $5 Authorization Hold

When upgrading to Pay As You Go, you may see a $5 charge on your card. This is not an actual charge but a temporary authorization hold to verify your payment method. This amount will be automatically released back to your account within 7 days, depending on your bank's processing time.

You can learn more about this authorization hold here.

Payment Method Requirements

To upgrade to Pay As You Go, you must:

  • Add a valid payment method to your account

  • Ensure the card has sufficient funds for the authorization hold

  • Use a credit or debit card (cryptocurrency payments are not currently supported for standard plans)

Plan Upgrade Delays

After successfully upgrading, there may be a delay before changes take effect in your dashboard. If you see confirmation that your upgrade was successful but your dashboard still shows "Free," try:

  • Refreshing your browser

  • Logging out and back in

  • Waiting a few minutes for the system to update

When to Contact Support

If you've tried the above solutions and are still experiencing issues, please contact support through the support widget in your Alchemy Dashboard. Include:

  • Screenshots of any error messages

  • Details about which payment methods you've tried

  • Information about any charges you see on your bank statement

Our support team can manually upgrade your account if technical issues persist.