Stripe · Decline codes
What does the Stripe mobile_device_authentication_required decline code mean?
Checked
The Stripe decline code mobile_device_authentication_required means the card was declined because the transaction requires authentication. Stripe's fix is to ask the customer to retry the payment by tapping their mobile device again, so they can unlock or confirm on the phone. It applies to in-person wallet payments, so online stores rarely see it. Nothing is wrong with the card.
- Type
- Authentication needed
- Who declined
- The card's bank
- Retry
- Yes, by tapping the phone again
- Shopper action
- Unlock the phone and tap again
- Merchant action
- Ask the customer to tap again
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC groups mobile_device_authentication_required with the other authentication codes at checkout: it is never sent to the backup processor, and the shopper completes verification on the same payment. On renewals, on the fixed schedule or with Smart retry, it is not retried blindly: the subscription is held past due and the customer gets an "action required" email asking them to confirm the payment.
Why it happens
The bank wants the cardholder to confirm the payment on their phone, for example by unlocking it with a face, fingerprint or passcode, before it approves the tap.
What the shopper can do
Unlock your phone, open your wallet if needed, and tap the reader again.
For developers
decline_code = mobile_device_authentication_required is for card-present wallet payments. Start the payment again so the customer can tap with an authenticated device. It is not expected for online PaymentIntents, where authentication_required covers 3-D Secure.
Frequently asked questions
- Does mobile_device_authentication_required mean the card was declined for good?
- No. Tapping again with an unlocked or confirmed phone usually completes the payment.
- Why did this happen on a contactless phone payment?
- The bank asked for the customer to authenticate on the device for this transaction.
Sources
- Stripe decline codes — Stripe
Related
- authentication_required — The bank wants the cardholder to verify the payment, usually with 3D Secure.
- authentication_not_handled — Verification was required, the shopper skipped it, and the bank declined again.
- online_or_offline_pin_required — In-person only: the card needs a PIN, by Online PIN or chip and PIN.
- payment_intent_authentication_failure — The card failed the bank's authentication check (such as 3-D Secure).
- card_declined — Stripe's error code for any declined card; the decline_code says why.
- approve_with_id — The bank could not authorize the payment as sent; one more try may work.
- call_issuer — The bank declined without a reason and wants the cardholder to contact it.