Decline code guide · insufficient_funds
Stripe insufficient_funds decline: what it means and how to fix it.
When Stripe returns insufficient_funds, the customer's bank declined the charge because the card didn't have enough balance or credit left at that moment. Nothing is wrong with your Stripe setup: the fix is timing, a friendly email, or another way to pay.
Give it time, and tell them.
Three steps, in this order, when a payment comes back insufficient_funds.
- Tell the customer soon, and kindly: the payment didn't go through, and here is how to pay. They may not know it failed.
- Retry later, not right away. A balance can change after payday or when a credit card bill is paid, so a retry a few days later may succeed. For subscriptions, Stripe Billing can retry failed payments for you on a schedule you set.
- Offer another card or another way to pay that you already accept. If a later retry still fails, move the order to a pending state and follow up.
Don't retry the same card again and again on the same day: the balance won't have changed.
ActionHi ‹first name›,
We tried to take the payment for ‹order or plan›, but your bank declined it for insufficient funds. It happens, and nothing is lost.
You can pay with this card or another one here: ‹payment link›. We'll also try the card again on ‹date›.
Thanks,
‹your name›
Want to see how often it happens to you? Run the free check on your Stripe payments export →
Recover lost revenue.
The Failed-Payment Recovery Kit: a download on Whop, yours right after paying. No subscription, no account with us.
- Dunning email templates to send after a failed payment
- A Stripe settings checklist
- A recovery playbook
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