- Stripe decline code
expired_card- Network response code
- 54
- Can a retry work?
- No, the customer needs a new card
- What to do
- Don't retry. Ask for a new card and charge it the moment it's added.
What it means for a subscription payment
Stripe: "The card has expired." On a subscription that's been running for a while, it's often the most common reason a renewal fails: the customer got a new card and never updated it with you.
Card networks' account updater services can sometimes refresh the expiry date automatically, but when the charge still declines with expired_card, the card on file won't work.
Should you retry?
No. Retrying an expired card can't succeed, and repeated retries on a card that will never approve count against you with card networks. Stripe doesn't list expired_card among the hard declines it skips, so Stripe's own retries keep trying it unless you stop them.
What to send the customer
This is the case where the email does all the work. Say what happened plainly and make the button the only thing to do.
Please update your card for Acme Analytics
Hi Maya, the card on file for your $49.00 Acme Analytics renewal has expired.
It only takes a minute to add a new one, and your subscription carries on as normal.
Add a new cardHow LastRetry handles it
LastRetry never retries an expired card. It emails the customer in your name with a card update page; the new card becomes the default and the open invoice is charged the moment it's added. Reminders follow if they don't act.
Questions
Will Stripe retry an expired card?
Stripe doesn't treat expired_card as a hard decline, so its scheduled retries can keep trying the same card. They won't succeed until the customer adds a new one.
How do I stop failed payments from expired cards?
Email customers before the card expires, and after a failure send one clear link to update the card instead of retrying.
Decline codes vary by card network, issuer and processor; the meanings here follow Stripe's documentation and common network usage. Updated October 4, 2026.