Decline code guide · transaction_not_allowed
Stripe transaction_not_allowed decline: what it means and how to fix it.
When Stripe returns transaction_not_allowed, the customer's bank refused this type of payment on this card. Online, international or recurring charges may be switched off. It's a rule on the card, not a problem with your Stripe setup, so the fix sits with the customer and their bank.
A rule on the card.
Common reasons a bank sends transaction_not_allowed.
| The block | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Online payments off | Card-not-present payments are switched off on the card, sometimes by default on a new card. |
| International blocked | Your business is in a different country from the customer's bank, and the card refuses cross-border payments. |
| Merchant type blocked | Some corporate, prepaid, gift or benefits cards only work with certain kinds of merchants. |
| Recurring not allowed | Some prepaid and virtual cards refuse subscription charges. |
| A control the customer set | A spending-category or merchant block in their banking app. |
The bank doesn't tell Stripe, or you, which rule it applied. Only the customer can find out, from their bank.
Ask them to unblock it.
Three steps, in this order, when a payment comes back transaction_not_allowed.
- Tell the customer plainly: their bank blocked this type of payment. Ask them to allow online or international payments in their banking app, or to call the number on the back of the card, then try again.
- Offer another card, or another payment method you already accept in Stripe.
- For subscriptions, send a short "update your card" email with a link to your billing page, instead of waiting for automatic retries to fail.
Don't retry the same card: the bank's rule won't change on its own. Stripe's guidance for this code is that the customer contacts their card issuer.
ActionHi ‹first name›,
We tried to take the payment for ‹order or plan›, but your bank declined it: the card isn't set up to allow this type of payment (for example online, international or recurring charges).
You can allow it in your banking app or by calling the number on the back of your card, then pay here: ‹payment link›. Another card works too.
Thanks,
‹your name›
Seeing it a lot from one country or one card type? Check the payment methods you offer for that market. 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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