Is code 1A a real decline?

It is a soft decline: the bank will approve once the cardholder authenticates.

Can a subscription renewal pass 1A automatically?

No. Authentication needs the cardholder, so they must come back and confirm the payment.

Card issuer response codes (ISO 8583) · Decline codes

What does card decline code 1A mean?

Checked October 31, 2026

Code 1A is a Visa issuer response code meaning "additional customer authentication required". The bank will only approve once the cardholder authenticates, typically with 3-D Secure under strong customer authentication rules. In the CEMEA and Europe regions Visa lists 1A in Category 3, data quality; elsewhere it falls in Category 4. Both allow up to 20 reattempts in 30 days, ideally with authentication completed.

Type: Authentication needed
Who declined: The card's issuing bank
Visa category: Category 3 in CEMEA and Europe, Category 4 elsewhere: up to 20 reattempts in 30 days
Retry: Yes, with 3-D Secure completed
Shopper action: Complete the bank's verification step
Merchant action: Run 3-D Secure and retry with the cardholder present
PlatformDTC renewal (Smart retry): No rule for this raw code; the processor's own code decides

What PlatformDTC does

PlatformDTC has no rule for a raw 1A; the processor's code decides. When that code is authentication_required, neither the fixed schedule nor Smart retry retries the renewal blindly, because no 3-D Secure prompt can reach an absent customer; the subscription is held and the customer is emailed to confirm the payment with their bank. At checkout, PlatformDTC keeps authentication declines on the same processor for 3-D Secure instead of moving them to a backup.

Why it happens

Strong customer authentication rules, especially in Europe, require many online card payments to be authenticated. The bank declined because this one was not.

What the shopper can do

Complete the verification in the banking app or by code, then pay again.

For developers

On Stripe the raw issuer code arrives in charge.outcome.network_decline_code (here "1A"), next to Stripe's own decline_code. Read it together with the card brand: the same two characters can mean different things on Visa and Mastercard. Visa lists 1A as Category 3 only in the CEMEA and Europe regions. For off-session renewals, bring the customer back on-session to authenticate.

Frequently asked questions

Is code 1A a real decline?: It is a soft decline: the bank will approve once the cardholder authenticates.
Can a subscription renewal pass 1A automatically?: No. Authentication needs the cardholder, so they must come back and confirm the payment.