--- updatedAt: 2026-07-10T15:46:58.000Z agentTools: siteIndex: https://docs.recurly.com/llms.txt projectIndex: https://docs.recurly.com/recurly-subscriptions/llms.txt --- # Account Updater: Why use it? Discover why Recurly's Account Updater delivers 77x average ROI. Prevent involuntary churn, avoid gateway fees on invalid cards, and protect subscriber lifetime value — all before a single payment fails. {`
← Back to Retain
Upcoming: Join our CSMs for a live session on this topic. Register now →
Retain Retain · Account Updater

Why use it?

Discover why Account Updater delivers outsized ROI — preventing involuntary churn, eliminating gateway fees, and protecting subscriber lifetime value before a single payment fails.

Navigation Menu
Navigate Home Path overview Why use it? 2 Things to consider 3 How to enable it 4 Tracking impact 5 Pitch to leadership Back to path start

The case for Account Updater

Involuntary churn is a preventable source of subscriber loss. Account Updater acts before a charge occurs — serving as your first line of defense. When a card is reissued, the subscriber rarely thinks to update it. Account Updater catches participating changes silently, preserving both revenue and the relationship.

77x
Average ROI
For every $1 spent on Account Updater, Recurly merchants recover an average of $77 in revenue.
18%
Of recovered revenue
Nearly 1 in 5 dollars recovered across Recurly's network is directly attributed to Account Updater.
96M+
Card updates in 2025
Recurly processed over 96 million card updates in 2025 — each one a prevented churn event.

Key business benefits

Prevent involuntary churn upstream

Account Updater acts before the charge occurs — your first line of defense for eligible card types. No failed payment, no dunning, no churn.

Proactive recovery

Significant cost avoidance

By identifying closed or invalid accounts before an attempt, Account Updater helps you avoid gateway transaction fees on charges that would never succeed.

Lower OpEx

Seamless subscriber experience

No intrusive emails, no update prompts for participating cardholders. The card transition happens silently in the vault — invisible to your customer.

CX improvement

Accelerates active dunning

If a card updates during an active dunning cycle, Recurly automatically uses the new information on the next retry — increasing recovery rates mid-cycle.

Integrated logic
Think about the lifetime value

When a card updates successfully, you aren't just saving one invoice — you're securing the entire future revenue stream for that subscriber.

Pricing considerations

How Account Updater is priced depends on your Recurly contract and the specific update method (Batch vs. Real-Time Account Updater).

Included in your contract

Many plans bundle standard Batch Account Updater at no additional per-update cost.

Usage-based updates

Some configurations apply fees for successful updates. The cost is typically a fraction of the recovered subscriber lifetime value.

Not sure which model applies to you? Contact Recurly Support to review your contract details.

← Account Updater overview 1 of 5 Next: Things to consider →

Resources

Recurly Docs: Account Updater Contact Recurly Support Join Global Office Hours
Account Updater Path overview 1. Why use it? 2. Things to consider 3. How to enable it 4. Tracking impact 5. Pitch to leadership
Home Navigate Home Contact Support
`}
# Sibling pages * [Account Updater: Things to consider](https://docs.recurly.com/recurly-subscriptions/docs/navigate-retain-account-updater-considerations.md) * [Account Updater: How to enable it](https://docs.recurly.com/recurly-subscriptions/docs/navigate-retain-account-updater-enable.md) * [Account Updater: Tracking impact](https://docs.recurly.com/recurly-subscriptions/docs/navigate-retain-account-updater-data.md) * [Account Updater: Pitch to leadership](https://docs.recurly.com/recurly-subscriptions/docs/navigate-retain-account-updater-use-case.md)