Does 2021 mean the shopper is a fraudster?

No. It means the bank has a security concern. Many genuine cardholders are blocked until they call.

Can the shopper fix Braintree 2021?

Yes, by calling the bank, or by paying with another method.

Braintree · Decline codes

What does Braintree 2021 “Security Violation” mean?

Checked October 31, 2026

Braintree 2021 “Security Violation” means the bank is declining, possibly because of a fraud concern. It is a hard decline. Braintree's advice is that the shopper contacts their bank or pays another way. Avoid automatic retries: the bank has flagged the card for security, and repeated attempts can look like card testing.

Type: Hard decline
Who declined: The shopper's bank
Retry: Not until the shopper contacts the bank
Shopper action: Call the bank or use another card
Merchant action: Offer another payment method

What PlatformDTC does

PlatformDTC does not connect to Braintree. Stripe's security_violation is the same answer (Visa 63 at network level); PlatformDTC lists both as never-retry, so a renewal is held and the subscriber is asked to update the card.

Why it happens

The bank's security systems blocked the card or this payment, for example after suspicious activity on the account.

What the shopper can do

Call the bank to clear the security block, or use another payment method.

What the store can do

Offer PayPal or another card. If the same visitor tries several cards after a 2021, consider blocking them.

For developers

Braintree returns processor_response_code 2021 with processor_response_text “Security Violation” and processor_response_type “hard_declined” on the Transaction object.

Frequently asked questions

Does 2021 mean the shopper is a fraudster?: No. It means the bank has a security concern. Many genuine cardholders are blocked until they call.
Can the shopper fix Braintree 2021?: Yes, by calling the bank, or by paying with another method.

Sources

Declines: authorization decline codes — Braintree (PayPal)
Transaction response object — Braintree (PayPal)
Decline codes — Stripe