Stripe decline codeStripe: lost_card and stolen_card declines

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What the codes mean, and the fix

1. 01

   The bank reported the card lost

   “The payment was declined because the card is reported lost.” Stripe, Decline codes (lost_card)

   The cardholder reported the card lost, or the bank flagged it. The person paying may be the owner using an old card, or someone else.

2. 02

   The message shows the real reason

   “Don’t report more detailed information to your customer. Instead, present it in the same manner as generic_decline.” Stripe, Decline codes (stolen_card)

   Telling a fraudster that a card is flagged helps them test other cards. Use exactly the same text you show for generic_decline, and keep the real code in your server logs. Never send decline_code or the raw Stripe message to the browser.

   // server side: log the real code, send one generic message
   const GENERIC = 'Your card was declined. Please try another payment method.';
   
   function declineMessage(err) {
     console.warn('decline', err.decline_code); // server logs only
     return GENERIC; // same text for lost_card, stolen_card and generic_decline
   }

3. 03

   Retrying the card

   Retrying a card the bank has reported lost or stolen is unlikely to succeed and adds failed attempts. For a subscription, stop retrying that card and ask the customer to add a new one.

4. 04

   Many declines in a short time

   A run of lost, stolen or generic declines from new accounts can be card testing. Add rate limits on payment attempts per account and per IP, add CAPTCHA to checkout, turn on Radar rules for card testing, and review the payments in the Dashboard.

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

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Related: Stripe generic_decline · Stripe do_not_honor · Stripe incorrect_zip · Stripe fraudulent decline