Stripe decline codeStripe: expired_card (the card has expired)

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What expired_card means, and the fix

1. 01

   The card is past its date

   “The customer needs to use another card.” Stripe, Decline codes (expired_card)

   The bank refused the card because it has expired. The customer has to pay with a new card or another payment method.

2. 02

   Ask for another card at checkout

   “The card has expired. Check the expiration date or use a different card.” Stripe, Error codes (expired_card)

   Stripe’s card forms usually catch a past date before submitting, so at checkout this mostly comes from a saved card. Tell the customer the card has expired and let them enter a new one. Check error.code, because decline_code can be empty for this error.

   if (error?.code === 'expired_card' || error?.decline_code === 'expired_card') {
     showMessage('This card has expired. Use another card to finish paying.');
   }

3. 03

   A saved card expired on a subscription

   Renewals fail when the saved card expires. Email the customer a link to update the card, for example the customer portal with payment method updates turned on in its settings. Updating the card doesn’t pay the open invoice by itself: pay it, or wait for the next retry.

   const session = await stripe.billingPortal.sessions.create({
     customer: customerId,
     return_url: 'https://example.com/account',
   });
   // email session.url to the customer
   
   // after the card is updated
   await stripe.invoices.pay(invoiceId);

4. 04

   A typed date is a different error

   “The expiration month is invalid.” Stripe, Decline codes (invalid_expiry_month)

   If the customer mistyped the month or year, Stripe returns invalid_expiry_month or invalid_expiry_year, not expired_card. Point them at the date field for those.

5. 05

   Test the message

   In a sandbox, pay with test card 4000000000000069 to get the expired_card decline and check what your checkout shows.

Checked against the vendor’s docs on November 9, 2026: Stripe docs: Decline codes; Stripe docs: Error codes; Stripe docs: Testing.

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Related: Stripe processing_error · Stripe incorrect_cvc · Stripe do_not_honor decline · Stripe customer portal not working