Can I fix Braintree 2099 without the shopper?

No. The cardholder must complete the authentication.

Is 2099 common in Europe?

Braintree does not give regions; it says 3D Secure was not performed.

Braintree · Decline codes

What does Braintree 2099 “Cardholder Authentication Required” mean?

Checked October 31, 2026

Braintree 2099 “Cardholder Authentication Required” means the bank declined because 3D Secure authentication was not performed during checkout. It is a soft decline. Have the shopper authenticate with 3D Secure (a code or app approval from their bank), then try the authorization again.

Type: Soft decline
Who declined: The shopper's bank
Retry: Yes, after the shopper authenticates
Shopper action: Complete the bank's verification step
Merchant action: Run 3D Secure and retry

What PlatformDTC does

PlatformDTC does not connect to Braintree. Stripe's matching code is authentication_required: PlatformDTC shows the shopper a hint to confirm with their bank, and never retries a renewal off-session; it waits for the customer to approve instead.

Why it happens

The issuer, often under strong customer authentication rules, wants the cardholder verified first.

What the shopper can do

Complete the verification your bank shows (code, app or text), then pay again.

What the store can do

Turn on 3D Secure in your Braintree integration and trigger it for these cards.

For developers

Braintree returns processor_response_code 2099 with processor_response_text “Cardholder Authentication Required” and processor_response_type “soft_declined” on the Transaction object.

Frequently asked questions

Can I fix Braintree 2099 without the shopper?: No. The cardholder must complete the authentication.
Is 2099 common in Europe?: Braintree does not give regions; it says 3D Secure was not performed.

Sources

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