Decline code library
Card decline codes for subscription payments
When a renewal fails, Stripe tells you why. Each code below says what it means for a recurring charge, whether a retry can work, and what to send the customer.
A retry can work
The card is fine; the payment failed for a reason that can pass. Retry at the right moment.
- Do not honordo_not_honor · 05The issuer said no without saying why. It's the most common generic decline, and a later retry often goes through.
- Insufficient fundsinsufficient_funds · 51There wasn't enough money on the card when you charged it. The card works; the timing didn't.
- Card declined by issuergeneric_declineThe bank declined and Stripe received no specific reason. Sometimes it passes on a retry; sometimes the customer has to call their bank.
- Card velocity exceededcard_velocity_exceeded · 61 · 65The card hit a balance, credit, amount or frequency limit. It usually clears with time.
The customer has to act
Retrying the same card won't help. Ask for a new card or a bank confirmation.
- Expired cardexpired_card · 54The card on file is past its expiry date. No retry of that card will work; the customer needs to add a new one.
- Authentication required (3-D Secure)authentication_required · 1A (Visa) · 65 (Mastercard)The bank wants the cardholder to confirm this payment (3-D Secure). An automatic retry can't do that; the customer has to.
- Pick up cardpickup_card · lost_card · stolen_card · 04 · 07 · 41 · 43The issuer says this card can't be used, often because it was reported lost or stolen. Never retry it.
- Decline code 82network_decline_code: "82" · 82On Visa, the card's verification data failed; on Mastercard, the issuer rejected the transaction. Either way, retrying the same card won't fix it.
Can a declined transaction still go through?
Not by itself: a declined charge is final, and no money moves. But the same invoice can be paid later, either by retrying the card when the reason was temporary (not enough money that day, a short issuer problem) or by charging a new card the customer adds. For a subscription, that second attempt is what recovery is about.
How do I fix a declined payment?
- Find the decline code on the failed charge in Stripe (Payments → the charge → the decline reason).
- Look it up above: if a retry can work, retry at a sensible time; if not, don't retry the same card.
- When the customer has to act, email them with one link to update their card or confirm the payment with their bank.
- Charge the open invoice as soon as the new card is in.
LastRetry does this for every failed renewal automatically. See how it works, or how it compares with Stripe Smart Retries.
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