Stripe revocation_of_authorization: What It Means and How to Handle It
revocation_of_authorization means the cardholder explicitly asked their bank to stop recurring charges from you. Handle this carefully. Continuing to charge creates chargeback risk.
3 min readDecline CodesStripe call_issuer: What It Means and How to Fix It
call_issuer means the bank wants the cardholder to call before approving the charge. The customer needs to contact their bank and then update their payment details.
2 min readDecline CodesStripe fraudulent: What It Means and How to Handle It
fraudulent is a hard decline from Stripe Radar. Do not retry. Do not send a standard dunning email. Review the account before taking any action.
3 min readDecline CodesStripe do_not_try_again: What It Means and How to Handle It
do_not_try_again is an explicit network instruction that retrying will not work. It is a hard decline that requires immediate customer contact for new payment details.
3 min readDecline CodesStripe transaction_not_allowed: What It Means and How to Fix It
transaction_not_allowed means the card or account cannot be used for this type of charge. The customer needs a different payment method.
2 min readDecline CodesStripe incorrect_cvc: What It Means and How to Fix It
incorrect_cvc means the security code entered does not match the bank record. The card is valid but the data is wrong. Do not retry without updated details.
3 min readDecline CodesStripe stolen_card: What It Means and How to Handle It
stolen_card is a hard decline that requires careful handling. Retrying risks network penalties. Emailing requires verifying the account belongs to the legitimate cardholder.
3 min readDecline CodesStripe lost_card: What It Means and How to Handle It
lost_card is a hard decline. The card has been reported lost by the cardholder. Retrying will not work and may trigger penalties. Here is the correct response.
3 min readDecline CodesStripe processing_error: What It Means and How to Recover It
processing_error is a technical failure, not a customer problem. The card is valid and the funds are there. A simple retry within a few hours resolves most cases.
3 min readDecline CodesStripe insufficient_funds: What It Means and How to Recover It
insufficient_funds is one of the most recoverable Stripe decline codes. Timing your retry around payroll dates recovers a significant share without ever contacting the customer.
4 min readDecline CodesStripe do_not_honor: What It Means and How to Recover It
do_not_honor sounds permanent but is usually temporary. It is one of the most common soft declines on Stripe subscription payments and recovers well with correct retry timing.
4 min readDecline CodesStripe expired_card: What It Means and How to Recover It
expired_card failures are preventable. Proactive expiry emails sent 30 days out recover a large portion before the charge ever fails. Here is the full recovery playbook.
3 min readDecline CodesStripe card_velocity_exceeded: What It Means and How to Recover It
card_velocity_exceeded is a soft decline caused by card network usage limits. It clears within 24 hours in most cases and does not require contacting the customer.
4 min readDecline CodesStripe generic_decline: What It Means and How to Recover It
generic_decline is the most common Stripe failure code and one of the most recoverable. Here is what causes it, how to retry correctly, and when to email the customer.
4 min readDecline CodesStripe Decline Codes: What They Mean and How to Fix Them
Stripe decline codes tell you exactly why a card payment failed and what to do about it. This guide covers every major code, whether it is recoverable, and the right response for each one.
13 min read