You picked a Midjourney plan, entered your card, and the payment failed. Or your plan suddenly says "Paused" because a renewal did not go through. This guide explains which payment methods Midjourney accepts, what each plan costs, why Midjourney payments are declined, how to fix a paused plan, and how to pay for Midjourney with a US virtual card when your own card keeps getting refused.
Which payment methods Midjourney accepts
Midjourney takes payments through Stripe, a large payment processor, so you can only pay with methods Stripe offers at checkout. According to Midjourney's own help pages, that generally means:
- Cards: major credit and debit cards such as Visa, Mastercard and American Express.
- Some digital wallets, such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Alipay and Link, in some regions only.
Two things Midjourney says clearly: PayPal is not supported, and its billing team cannot set up other payment methods for individuals. The options you see at checkout are the ones available to you. If none of them work with your cards, a different card is the practical fix.
Midjourney plans and what you pay
Every Midjourney plan is a subscription that renews automatically, monthly or yearly, until you set it to cancel. At the time of writing, Midjourney lists four plans:
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly (paid upfront) | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $10 | $96 | About 3.3 hours of fast GPU time a month |
| Standard | $30 | $288 | 15 fast hours, plus Relax mode for images |
| Pro | $60 | $576 | 30 fast hours, Relax mode for video, Stealth Mode |
| Mega | $120 | $1,152 | 60 fast hours, the most concurrent jobs |
Extra fast GPU time costs $4 an hour on every plan. Prices are in US dollars, and Midjourney can change plans and prices, so check the plans page before you subscribe. A yearly plan is a single large charge, so the card needs the full amount at once.
Why Midjourney payments are declined
- The card's country or bank rules. Many banks outside the US block international or online payments by default, or decline payments to foreign merchants even when the money is there.
- Billing address mismatch. Midjourney's help pages say even small differences between the address you type and the one your card issuer holds can make a payment fail.
- Not enough for the full charge, especially on a yearly plan, or a spending limit on the card.
- Typing errors in the card number, name, expiry date or security code.
- A failed verification check. The card's issuer may run 3D Secure, a check that may ask for a one-time code. If you miss it or it fails, the payment is refused.
A declined payment often shows as a pending transaction in your bank or card app. Midjourney notes this is normal and disappears by itself. It does not mean you paid: a successful payment always comes with an email receipt from Midjourney. For decline messages in general, read why cards are declined online.
How to fix a declined payment or a paused plan
If a renewal fails, Midjourney marks your plan as Paused, emails you, and retries the payment several times over several days. If every retry fails, the subscription is cancelled automatically.
- Find the reason. Check your bank or card app for the declined attempt and its reason.
- Fix the cause: add money to the card, switch on online and international payments, or correct the billing address.
- Update your card on Midjourney's Manage Subscription page with the Edit Billing button, and add the new payment method there.
- Or stop the retries: cancel the paused plan on the same page, then subscribe again with a working card.
- Still stuck? Midjourney's billing support team is the next step once you have checked the card and your bank.
Avoid pressing pay again and again. Repeated failures rarely help and can make your bank block further attempts for a while.
Paying for Midjourney with a virtual card
A virtual card is a Visa or Mastercard with a number, expiry date and security code, but no plastic. For an AI subscription like Midjourney, it has two advantages: it keeps the subscription apart from your main bank account, and you decide exactly how much is on it. See what is a virtual card and our guide to paying for ChatGPT and other AI tools.
A US-issued card removes the most common reason cards from many countries are refused, the card's country, but Midjourney and Stripe run their own checks, so no card provider can promise acceptance. These habits help:
- One card for Midjourney. If you ever want to stop paying, close or freeze that one card without touching anything else: one card per subscription.
- Load the plan price plus a margin. On a ZikCards card, $1.20 stays on the card while it is open, so what you can spend is the balance less $1.20.
- Use the card's own billing address, shown on the card page, exactly as written: which billing address to use.
- Keep the dashboard open when you pay. If a 3D Secure check asks for a one-time code, it appears at the top of your ZikCards dashboard: how 3D Secure works.
- Avoid declines. The card issuer charges $0.40 for each declined payment, taken from the card, and Midjourney retries a failed renewal several times.
Here is what to load for each monthly plan:
| Plan | Monthly price | Stays on the card | Load at least |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $10 | $1.20 | $11.20 |
| Standard | $30 | $1.20 | $31.20 |
| Pro | $60 | $1.20 | $61.20 |
| Mega | $120 | $1.20 | $121.20 |
Midjourney is a US company and bills in US dollars, so a dollar card avoids currency conversion. If a payment ever settles outside the US, the card issuer's cross-border fee of $0.50 + 2.5% applies. Loading a card has its own fee, listed on the pricing page.
How to set it up with ZikCards
- Sign up and verify once with a photo ID (passport, national ID card or driving licence) and a short selfie on your phone. Most verifications are approved automatically within minutes: what ID you need.
- Add money to your balance with USDT or USDC stablecoins. The deposit fee is from $1 + 1%, depending on the network: which network to use. Holding USDC? Read our USDC card guide.
- Create a card, Visa or Mastercard, and load your plan's price plus $1.20 and a small margin. The card is ready in seconds. Name it "Midjourney" on the My cards page.
- Subscribe or update billing in Midjourney with the card number, expiry, security code and the card's own billing address.
- Top up before each renewal date, or cancel the plan in Midjourney first if you want to stop. Freezing the card alone does not cancel the plan, and each declined retry on a frozen card still costs $0.40: freeze or close.
Frequently asked questions
What payment methods does Midjourney accept?
Midjourney takes payments through Stripe: major credit and debit cards such as Visa, Mastercard and American Express, and some wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay in some regions. The options at checkout are the ones available to you.
Can I pay for Midjourney with PayPal?
No. Midjourney says PayPal is not currently supported.
Why was my Midjourney payment declined when there is money on my card?
Common reasons are a bank blocking international or online payments, a billing address that does not match the card's, a spending limit, or a missed 3D Secure check. The card's country can also be the reason. Check each one, then try once more or use another card.
What does "Paused" mean on my Midjourney plan?
A renewal payment failed. Midjourney retries it several times over several days and cancels the plan if every retry fails. Update your card with the Edit Billing button on the Manage Subscription page.
Can I use a virtual card for Midjourney?
You add it at checkout like any other card. A US card removes the most common reason cards from many countries are refused, the card's country, but Midjourney runs its own checks, so no card provider can promise acceptance.
Is a ZikCards card a credit card?
No credit is given. The card is issued on a US credit BIN, loaded from your balance, and spends only what is on it, with no bill and no interest.
Ready to give your Midjourney plan its own card? Create your ZikCards account. See every fee on our pricing page.
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Midjourney, Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Alipay and Link are trademarks of their respective owners. ZikCards is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
