> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.supercycle.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Payment attempts

> How Supercycle tries to collect a charge and what happens when an attempt succeeds

A payment attempt is one try at collecting a [charge](/documentation/manage/charges/charges). A charge can have several attempts before it's paid, and one attempt can cover several charges.

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## Payment instruments

Supercycle collects payment in different ways, called instruments:

| Instrument          | Description                                                                                                                                 |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Draft order**     | A manual request for payment through a Shopify [draft order](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/fulfillment/managing-orders/create-orders). |
| **Billing attempt** | An automatic charge against the customer's vaulted card, used for recurring subscription and membership cycles.                             |
| **Order**           | A Shopify order, used when the charge is paid upfront at checkout.                                                                          |

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## How it works

A successful attempt always results in a Shopify order. Supercycle links the order to the charge and updates the balance due. A failed billing attempt starts [dunning](/documentation/manage/charges/dunning), which retries on the schedule you set. You can start an attempt yourself from the charge page with **Create payment**. See [Charge actions](/documentation/manage/charges/charge-actions).