Melon charges 80% of what is available in the account rather than failing the whole charge, and carries the shortfall forward as a balance. What happens next depends on the split's charge schedule and whether a backup payment method exists.

Nothing is written off. The balance stays owed until it is settled.

A creator owes $250 but has $200 in their account. Melon charges $160 — 80% of what is there — and the remaining $90 stays on the split's balance.

The 80% rule exists so a charge does not empty someone's account.

If the split charges on a schedule (weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly), the outstanding balance is included in the next scheduled charge along with anything new that has accrued since.

If the split charges on platform payout, Melon waits for the next cashout. Nothing is attempted in between, because there is no reason to expect the balance has changed.

Either way, if the next attempt also falls short, the same 80% rule applies again. This repeats until the balance reaches zero.

When a bank charge cannot cover the balance and the creator has an active card set as a backup, Melon can charge the card instead. See Paying by card for who pays the processing fee.

Melon generates a ledger invoice — a payment link the creator can pay without logging in or having a Melon account. New invoices are only generated when there is new accrual since the last one, so an unchanged balance is never re-invoiced.

Overdue reminders start four days past due and then repeat weekly. The amount shown is always current, and a settled balance goes silent.

Repeated shortfalls are usually a timing problem rather than an inability to pay. If a creator is consistently short, check whether the charge schedule lines up with when they actually receive money — moving from a fixed cycle to a cashout basis, or shifting the billing day, often solves it outright.