PayPal · Decline codes
What does the PayPal CARD_EXPIRED error mean?
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PayPal's CARD_EXPIRED error means the card used for the payment is expired, so it can't be charged. Retrying won't help. The buyer needs to use a current card, for example the replacement their bank sent, or another payment method; subscribers paying by that card need to update it.
- PayPal description
- The card is expired
- Type
- Hard decline
- Who declined
- PayPal or the card's bank
- Retry
- No, a current card is needed
- Shopper action
- Use your current card
- Merchant action
- Ask for updated card details
- PlatformDTC renewal
- Card payments: no retry, update-card link; wallet: generic
What PlatformDTC does
On PayPal card payments, PlatformDTC records CARD_EXPIRED as an expired card: on either retry schedule (the default Fixed schedule or Smart retry) there is no retry, the subscription is held past due and the customer gets a one-click update-card link, re-sent up to 4 times per cycle. On PayPal wallet renewals the issue has no specific rule, so it is treated as a generic decline and logged as unclassified.
Why it happens
The card's expiry date has passed.
What the shopper can do
Enter your current card, or pick another funding source in PayPal.
What the store can do
Send an update-card request; don't retry.
For developers
details[0].issue = CARD_EXPIRED. On card payments, check processor_response.response_code too (for example 5400 EXPIRED_CARD).
Frequently asked questions
- Is CARD_EXPIRED the same as processor code 5400?
- Both mean the card has expired; one is an Orders API issue, the other a processor response code.
- Will the new card be picked up automatically?
- PayPal's error doesn't pass new details on. Ask the customer to update.
Sources
- Orders v2 API errors — PayPal
Related
- 5400 — Expired card: the card is past its expiry date.
- PPEF — Expired funding instrument: the card or account used to pay has expired.
- CARD_TYPE_NOT_SUPPORTED — Card type not supported: this kind of card can't be processed; use another.
- AGREEMENT_ALREADY_CANCELLED — Agreement already cancelled: the buyer's PayPal billing agreement has been cancelled.
- REDIRECT_PAYER_FOR_ALTERNATE_FUNDING — Redirect for alternate funding: send the buyer back to pick another funding source.
- TRANSACTION_BLOCKED_BY_PAYEE — Blocked by payee: the merchant's own PayPal fraud settings blocked the payment.
- PAYEE_BLOCKED_TRANSACTION — Payee blocked transaction: the merchant's PayPal fraud tool declined it.
- TRANSACTION_LIMIT_EXCEEDED — Transaction limit exceeded: the total is over a PayPal transaction limit.