Recovery guidance
What to do when Stripe returns expired_card
What it means for the customer
This is one of the cleanest recovery cases: the customer often still wants the subscription, but the stored card is stale.
First recovery move
Send an update-card email immediately with a secure Stripe-hosted billing link and a short explanation that the saved card has expired.
Retry timing
Retry after the customer updates the payment method. Blind retries against the expired card are unlikely to recover revenue.
Email angle
Make the action obvious: update the saved card, then the invoice can be collected without changing their plan.
What to avoid
Avoid vague failed-payment copy. If the card expired, tell the customer the specific fix instead of asking them to contact support.