When a charge is submitted to a bank or card issuer, automated systems determine whether or not the transaction will be authorized. These systems take various signals into account, including your Client's spending habits, account balance, fraud prevention efforts, and up to date card information.
If your Client's card issuer declines a payment, Stripe shares with you as much information explaining the decline that they receive (e.g., invalid card number or insufficient funds), and that message sent from the card issuer displays in MassageBook.
We understand that a declined card is never an ideal situation for you or your client. In fact, it can be quite awkward. But, if a charge is declined, it's because the card issuer is signaling that the card cannot be processed, not Stripe or MassageBook. Unfortunately, most declines are categorized as “generic,” so it’s not always possible to know exactly why a payment was declined.
If all of the card information seems correct, it is best to have your Client contact their card issuer and ask for more information. For privacy and security, card issuers can only discuss the specifics of a declined payment with their cardholders, not the merchant.
The following is a list of the most common decline codes issued to Stripe:
| card_not_supported | The card does not support this type of purchase. |
| do_not_honor | The card has been declined for an unknown reason. |
| do_not_try_again | The card has been declined for an unknown reason. |
| duplicate_transaction | A transaction with identical amount and credit card information was submitted very recently. |
| expired_card | The card has expired. |
| fraudulent | The payment has been declined as Stripe suspects it is fraudulent. |
| generic_decline | The card has been declined for an unknown reason. |
| incorrect_number | The card number is incorrect. |
| incorrect_cvc | The CVC number is incorrect. |
| incorrect_pin | The PIN entered is incorrect. This decline code only applies to payments made with a card reader. |
| incorrect_zip | The ZIP/postal code is incorrect. |
| insufficient_funds | The card has insufficient funds to complete the purchase. |
| invalid_account | The card, or account the card is connected to, is invalid. |
| invalid_amount | The payment amount is invalid, or exceeds the amount that is allowed. |
| invalid_cvc | The CVC number is incorrect. |
| invalid_expiry_year | The expiration year invalid. |
| invalid_number | The card number is incorrect. |
| invalid_pin | The PIN entered is incorrect. This decline code only applies to payments made with a card reader. |
| issuer_not_available | The card issuer could not be reached, so the payment could not be authorized. |
| lost_card | The payment has been declined because the card is reported lost. |
| new_account_information_available | The card, or account the card is connected to, is invalid. |
| no_action_taken | The card has been declined for an unknown reason. |
| not_permitted | The payment is not permitted. |
| pickup_card | The card cannot be used to make this payment (it is possible it has been reported lost or stolen). |
| processing_error | An error occurred while processing the card. |
| reenter_transaction | The payment could not be processed by the issuer for an unknown reason. |
| restricted_card | The card cannot be used to make this payment (it is possible it has been reported lost or stolen). |
| stolen_card | The payment has been declined because the card is reported stolen. |
| transaction_not_allowed | The card has been declined for an unknown reason. |
| try_again_later | The card has been declined for an unknown reason. |
| withdrawal_count_limit_exceeded | The customer has exceeded the balance or credit limit available on their card. |
Why would a Client's card not support this type of purchase?
- Some debit cards require a PIN to be entered. If the Client is trying to use one of those cards, they'll need to use another card to complete the purchase, or you'll need to attempt to process the card information manually, as restrictions may vary for swiped vs. manually entered cards.
- Some card issuers prevent a card from being swiped if the card has a chip. Neither the Mobile Card Reader nor the USB Card Reader support chip card technology.
- Some cards have restrictions on cross-border usage. This could cause a problem if the card was issued in a state or country other than where your Business is located. Your Client should contact their card issuer to approve credit transactions attempted by your Business.
What does "invalid swipe data" mean?
- This error signals that the card reader did not return all data (card number, expiration date, cardholder name, etc.) necessary for processing the transaction.
- If you receive this message, ensure that your card reader is fully charged and attempt to swipe it again.
- If the data still cannot be read due to a faulty magnetic strip on the card, enter the information manually.