> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.goassay.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.goassay.ai/use-tools/when-something-goes-wrong/fix-a-payment-problem.md).
# Fix a paused or refused payment
Find why a paid call stopped and take the action that lets it run again.
A refused attempt does not charge you. An **Owed** call is different: your agent already used the result, but its payment still needs collecting. Start with the message in your AI app or the banner in Assay.
## Steps
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
### Read the reason
Open the link returned by your AI app, if there is one. Otherwise open Assay and read the banner at the top. **Activity → Calls → Refused** shows recorded refusals and their fixes; **Owed** shows unpaid calls. A refusal made locally on your computer may appear only in the AI app.
Look for the refusal in Calls.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Apply the matching fix
Find the message in the groups below. Fix the cause before you ask the AI to repeat the call.
#### Money owed or balance
| What the app or AI says | What to do |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Paid calls are paused: your escrow owes for a call your agent already made** | An earlier call ran, but its payment was not collected. Choose **Settle** in the top banner and sign each owed payment with the wallet that owes it. Signing is free. Collection takes the money from your Assay balance, usually within a minute. Settle every owed call before you retry. |
| The payment is not ready to sign yet | The original payment must expire first, so you cannot pay twice. Wait until the time shown in the settlement drawer, then reopen **Settle**. |
| **Collecting the payment you signed** | Wait for collection. Do not sign again or repeat the original tool call. |
| **Not enough balance for this call** or an empty balance | Follow [Add funds](/use-tools/get-started/add-funds.md), or wait for calls that hold money to finish. **Money → Funding** shows what is available. A deposit that is still confirming cannot pay yet. |
| **A withdrawal is in progress, so paid calls are paused** | An open withdrawal pauses paid calls for every agent, even for a partial amount. Open **Money → Funding**. Claim it when it is ready, or choose **Cancel request** and sign the free cancellation to keep the money in Assay. |
#### Limits
| What the app or AI says | What to do |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **This call would go over your spend limit**, **This is over the agent's payment permission**, or **This is over your escrow's safety cap** | A per-call, rolling or monthly limit would be passed. The lowest limit wins. Choose a cheaper tool or wait for the period to pass. To raise a limit, open **Controls → Limits**. If the **account ceiling** is what stops you, change it on **Money → Funding**. |
| The amount is above the local limit per call, or would pass the local limit per 24 hours | The Assay local app on your computer has its own limits. Browser limits cannot raise them. Use a cheaper call, wait, or raise them with `limits set` (see below). |
| The provider is not in the local allow-list | Your computer only pays the providers in its local list. Choose a tool from an allowed provider, or change the list with `limits set --providers` (see below). |
| **Spending too fast**, a calls-per-minute or calls-per-hour limit, or a duplicate request | Stop the retry loop and wait a minute. |
| **You paused all paid calls** or **This agent is paused by its budget** | Paid calls were paused with **Pause all paid calls**. Choose **Resume** in the banner and confirm **Resume paid calls**. |
| **Paid calls are paused for a moment** | A change to limits or permission is still taking effect. Wait briefly, then retry. |
| **This call needs a person's approval** | An older approval rule refused the call. Choose a cheaper call, or remove the rule: open **Controls → Limits → Older rules still checked**, choose **Remove it** and confirm **Remove the rule**. |
#### Permission to pay
| What the app or AI says | What to do |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Paid calls through this server are off** | This connection is not allowed to pay on your computer. Paid calls work by default only through **Everything**. Run the `allow-paid` command quoted in the AI app's message, for example `npx -y @goassay-ai/mcp allow-paid 'https://mcp.goassay.ai/my/your-set-address'`, and type your profile name to confirm. Then ask the AI again. **Connect** also shows a command for this under **Or let it also allow this URL for paid calls:**. |
| **The agent's payment permission is not active**, the payment key's grant expired, or the agent key has no payment permission | Follow [Turn on paid calls](/use-tools/get-started/turn-on-paid-calls.md) again for this app. For an existing key, **Controls → Limits** also offers **Let it pay again** or **Let it pay**. |
| **The free calls are used up** | Wait for the free tier to reset, choose another free tool, or use a local app with [paid calls turned on](/use-tools/get-started/turn-on-paid-calls.md). Hosted connectors in claude.ai and ChatGPT are free-only. |
#### Access and tools
| What the app or AI says | What to do |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **This agent isn't allowed to use this tool**, **This tool is not part of this server**, or **No provider fits your limits** | Open the refusal's link to see which setting stopped it. Use an allowed tool, check **What this agent can use** in **Controls → Limits**, or use a connection that includes the tool. |
| No provider can serve the tool, an unsupported input, a retired tool version, or a removed tool | Ask the AI to refresh the tool's details, fix its inputs, or pick a replacement in [Find tools](/use-tools/everyday-use/find-tools.md). |
| A stale quote or expired payment request | Ask the AI to read the tool's current details and price, then retry. Do not reuse an old payment request. |
#### Account
| What the app or AI says | What to do |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Your account is blocked by Assay** | Contact Assay support. You can still sign in and read your data. Adding funds does not remove a block. |
| **This action was refused because an account in it is blocked** | Another account in the call, such as a provider, is blocked. Try another provider or tool. |
| **Your session expired. Sign in again**, an invalid connection key, or an app stopped after its sign-in was used twice | Sign in again with the same account. If the app's connection was stopped, reconnect it with [Connect your AI app](/use-tools/get-started/connect-your-ai-app.md). Check for unfamiliar activity first. |
#### Local limits on your computer
To see the local limits:
```sh
npx -y @goassay-ai/mcp limits
```
The defaults are $0.50 per call and $5 per 24 hours. To change them, run this in a terminal:
```sh
npx -y @goassay-ai/mcp limits set --per-call 1 --per-day 10
```
Add `--providers 0x…,0x…` to pay only those providers, or `--providers off` to remove the list.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Retry the intended call
Once the banner clears or the change confirms, ask the AI to try the task again. For debt, settling pays the earlier call; it does not require running that earlier tool again.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
## Check it worked
The intended tool returns a result without the same refusal. In **Activity → Calls**, open the new call to check its receipt. A successful signature alone does not mean a debt was collected or a new call ran.
## If something goes wrong
| You see | Do this |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Written off** on an owed call | An owed call not settled within 30 days shows **Written off**. You still owe it, and paid calls stay paused until you settle. Use **Settle**. |
| You resumed calls but they remain paused | Check for a separate debt, open withdrawal, expired permission or binding limit. |
| The same refusal after the fix confirmed | Keep the call reference and exact message, then contact Assay support. |
| **The contracts are paused** or Assay is unavailable | Assay has paused payments for everyone. Wait and retry later. |
## Next
* [Get a refund or report a bad result](/use-tools/when-something-goes-wrong/get-a-refund.md)
---
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