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Checkout.com · Decline codes

What does Checkout.com 20100 “Invalid expiry date format” mean?

Checked

Checkout.com 20100 "Invalid expiry date format" means the payment failed because the expiry date was invalid. Checkout.com's advice: try again with the correct value. It is a formatting problem, often a two-digit versus four-digit year or a month outside 1 to 12, not a bank judgement on the card.

Type
Soft decline (20xxx)
Who declined
The network, over the expiry format
Retry
Possibly. Visa category 4 (generic): at most 15 retries in 30 days
Shopper action
Re-enter the expiry date
Merchant action
Check the expiry field and the value your checkout sends

What PlatformDTC does

PlatformDTC treats 20100 from Checkout.com as final for that card. Checkout will not move the payment to a backup processor; the shopper needs a different card or corrected details. A subscription renewal declined with 20100 is never retried: the subscription is held past due and the customer is emailed a link to add a new card.

Why it happens

The month or year sent did not match the expected format.

What the shopper can do

Re-type the expiry date exactly as printed on the card.

What the store can do

If many shoppers hit 20100, check how your checkout formats the expiry before it reaches Checkout.com.

For developers

The payment comes back with status Declined, response_code 20100 and a response_summary such as "Invalid expiry date format" (Checkout.com notes the text can vary by endpoint). Checkout.com's Visa table puts this code in category 4, which it pairs with recommendation code 02 (try again later); read processing.recommendation_code on the response.

Frequently asked questions

Is Checkout.com 20100 an expired card?
No. Expired card is 20054. 20100 is about the format of the date.
Can the same card work after 20100?
Yes, with a correctly formatted expiry date.

Sources

Related

Payments library