- Stripe decline code
authentication_required- Network response code
- 1A (Visa), 65 (Mastercard)
- Can a retry work?
- Not without the customer
- What to do
- Send the customer a link to confirm the payment with their bank.
What it means for a subscription payment
Stripe: "The card was declined because the transaction requires authentication such as 3D Secure." Under strong customer authentication rules, especially in Europe, banks sometimes ask for confirmation even on a renewal.
Visa returns 1A (additional customer authentication required); Mastercard uses 65 for the same soft decline.
Should you retry?
Not off-session. Stripe lists authentication_required among the hard declines it won't retry automatically, because no retry without the customer can pass the bank's check. Once the customer confirms, the payment goes through.
What to send the customer
The email needs one job: get the customer to the confirmation page. Reassure them that it's a normal bank check.
Please confirm your Acme Analytics payment
Hi Maya, your bank needs you to confirm the $49.00 renewal for Acme Analytics. It's a standard security check.
Confirming takes a moment in your banking app.
Confirm paymentHow LastRetry handles it
LastRetry doesn't retry these. It sends the customer straight to confirm the payment (Stripe's hosted invoice page handles the 3-D Secure step), with reminders until it's done.
Questions
Will Stripe retry an authentication_required payment?
No. Stripe lists authentication_required as a hard decline it can't retry automatically; the customer has to confirm the payment.
What is a soft decline for 3-D Secure?
The issuer declines but asks for authentication (Visa 1A, Mastercard 65). Once the cardholder completes 3-D Secure, the same payment can be approved.
Decline codes vary by card network, issuer and processor; the meanings here follow Stripe's documentation and common network usage. Updated October 4, 2026.