Adyen · Decline codes
What does Adyen refusal reason 21 “Not Submitted” mean?
Checked
Adyen refusal reason 21, "Not Submitted", means the transaction was not submitted correctly for processing. No bank looked at the card. It usually points to the integration or the payment flow, such as a request that never completed its submission step. The shopper can try again; the store should check its logs if the code repeats.
- Type
- Error (submission)
- Who declined
- The payment request or flow
- Retry
- Yes, once the request is submitted correctly.
- Shopper action
- Try again; contact the store if it repeats.
- Merchant action
- Check the integration and logs for the failed submission.
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC does not connect to Adyen; its checkout runs on Stripe and PayPal. A renewal that fails on the platform or processor side is deferred there instead of counted as a decline, so such errors never use up a subscriber's retry attempts.
Why it happens
Adyen describes it simply: the transaction was not submitted correctly for processing.
What the shopper can do
Try the payment again. If it fails the same way, use another method and let the store know.
What the store can do
Review API logs in the Customer Area for the payment and check the request was complete.
For developers
refusalReasonCode "21". Inspect the request in Adyen's API logs.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Adyen refusal 21 a card problem?
- No. The transaction was not submitted correctly, so the card was never assessed.
- Can the shopper retry after Adyen refusal 21?
- Yes. If it repeats, the store's integration needs checking.
Sources
- Adyen refusal reasons — Adyen
Related
- 4 — Something failed on the acquirer's side, not with the shopper's card.
- 15 — The transaction was cancelled before it completed.
- 22 — Pre- and post-authorization risk checks together scored 100 or more, so the payment was refused.
- 23 — The issuer or acquirer does not permit this transaction on this card (raw 57 or 58).
- 24 — The card security code (CVC) entered is wrong.
- 25 — The issuer restricted where this card can be used (raw 62).
- 26 — The shopper asked their bank to stop this subscription or all recurring payments (raw R0, R1, R3).
- 27 — A specific refusal Adyen could not reliably map to one of its named reasons.