PayPal · Decline codes
What does the PayPal MAX_NUMBER_OF_PAYMENT_ATTEMPTS_EXCEEDED error mean?
Checked
PayPal's MAX_NUMBER_OF_PAYMENT_ATTEMPTS_EXCEEDED error means the maximum number of payment attempts has been exceeded, so PayPal won't accept another try on this payment. PayPal doesn't publish the limit. The buyer should start a fresh checkout or use another payment method, and the merchant should stop resubmitting.
- PayPal description
- You have exceeded the maximum number of payment attempts.
- Type
- Not a bank decline
- Who declined
- PayPal
- Retry
- Only after the cause is fixed
- Shopper action
- Start a new checkout or use another method
- Merchant action
- Stop resubmitting; create a new order
- PlatformDTC renewal (Smart retry)
- Treated as generic and flagged; PayPal ladder
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC has no specific rule for MAX_NUMBER_OF_PAYMENT_ATTEMPTS_EXCEEDED: it is treated as a generic decline and logged as unclassified so the team can review it. With Smart retry on, a PayPal subscription renewal declined this way follows the PayPal ladder: up to 7 attempts, each at least 3 days after the last, moved to the subscriber's next payday when one falls within a week, inside a window of at least 24 days.
Why it happens
Too many attempts were made against the same payment. PayPal caps attempts but doesn't say at what number.
What the shopper can do
Start the checkout again, or pay with a card.
What the store can do
Create a fresh order rather than looping on the old one.
Check that your integration doesn't send repeat attempts automatically.
For developers
details[0].issue = MAX_NUMBER_OF_PAYMENT_ATTEMPTS_EXCEEDED. Create a new order instead of retrying capture on the old one.
Frequently asked questions
- How many attempts does PayPal allow?
- PayPal doesn't publish the number.
- Can I retry the same order later?
- Start a new order; the old one has used up its attempts.
Sources
- Orders v2 API errors — PayPal
Related
- INSTRUMENT_DECLINED — Instrument declined: the card or bank in the buyer's PayPal was refused.
- TRANSACTION_REFUSED — Transaction refused: PayPal refused the request without a specific reason.
- 5710 — Attempts exceed limit: too many payment attempts on this card.
- CARD_EXPIRED — Card expired: the card used through PayPal 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.