Braintree · Decline codes
What does Braintree 2101 “Additional authorization required” mean?
Checked
Braintree 2101 “Additional authorization required” means the bank needs more cardholder credentials before it approves; Braintree's example is that the customer should insert their chip. It is a soft decline and maps to Visa category 2, so retrying with the extra step is allowed, within 15 retries in 30 days.
- Type
- Soft decline
- Who declined
- The shopper's bank
- Retry
- Yes, with the extra step. Visa category 2: at most 15 retries in 30 days
- Shopper action
- Insert the chip or complete the extra step
- Merchant action
- Ask the shopper to complete the step
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC does not connect to Braintree. For online payments the bank's extra step is 3-D Secure, which PlatformDTC's Stripe checkout handles as needs-action: the shopper confirms with the bank, and renewals wait for the customer instead of retrying off-session.
Why it happens
The issuer wants stronger proof of the cardholder: a chip read in person, or an extra verification step.
What the store can do
In person, ask for chip insertion. Online, make sure 3D Secure runs when the bank asks for it.
For developers
Braintree returns processor_response_code 2101 with processor_response_text “Additional authorization required” and processor_response_type “soft_declined” on the Transaction object. Braintree maps it to Visa category 2 (issuer cannot approve at this time): at most 15 retries in 30 days. Braintree's header table also lists 2101 under Visa category 3.
Frequently asked questions
- What does 'insert chip' mean in Braintree 2101?
- For in-person payments, the bank wants the chip read rather than a swipe or tap.
- Can I retry Braintree 2101?
- Yes, with the extra credential, within Visa category 2 limits.
Sources
- Declines: authorization decline codes — Braintree (PayPal)
- Transaction response object — Braintree (PayPal)
- Mapping to Visa system integrity fee categories — Adyen
Related
- 2099 — The bank needs 3D Secure authentication.
- 2102 — The PIN entered was wrong.
- 2103 — Too many wrong PIN attempts.
- 2104 — The bank declined the payment offline.
- 2105 — Refused: card data invalid for its life cycle (try later).
- 2106 — Refused for a policy reason (try later).
- 2107 — The card is new and hasn't been activated yet.