Stripe · Decline codes
What does the Stripe service_not_allowed decline code mean?
Checked
The Stripe decline code service_not_allowed means the card was declined for an unknown reason, according to Stripe, and the customer needs to contact their card issuer for more information. The name hints that the card is not set up for this kind of payment, such as online or international purchases. Another card or payment method usually completes the order.
- Type
- Soft decline, reason not given
- Who declined
- The card's bank
- Retry
- Possible later; another method is faster
- Shopper action
- Use another card or ask the bank
- Merchant action
- Offer alternatives
What PlatformDTC does
At checkout PlatformDTC lets a store with PayPal card payments as its backup offer the shopper that route after service_not_allowed, since another processor may approve it. With Smart retry on, renewals declined this way are treated as generic declines: retried 2, 5, 8, 13 and 18 days after the first decline, up to 6 attempts, at 14:00 subscriber-local time by default, and held past due if they never clear.
Why it happens
Stripe does not specify the reason. Banks can disable services on a card, for example online, foreign or recurring payments, and refuse anything outside them.
What the shopper can do
Pay with another card or wallet, or ask your bank which kinds of purchases the card allows.
What the store can do
Show other payment methods next to the error. For subscriptions, a spaced retry plus an update-card email works better than charging repeatedly.
For developers
decline_code = service_not_allowed. Read charge.outcome.advice_code and network_decline_code before deciding on a retry; a do_not_try_again advice code means stop.
Frequently asked questions
- What service is not allowed?
- Stripe doesn't say. Only the card's bank knows which service on the card is blocked, so the customer has to ask them.
- Is service_not_allowed a hard decline?
- Stripe does not classify it. It describes an unknown reason, and retries are allowed under Visa's generic rules, but a new payment method is usually quicker.
Sources
- Stripe decline codes — Stripe
- Card declines — Stripe
Related
- not_permitted — The bank says this payment is not permitted on this card.
- transaction_not_allowed — The bank declined; the card does not allow this type of transaction.
- card_not_supported — The card can't be used for this kind of purchase.
- no_action_taken — The card was declined for a reason the bank did not share.
- stolen_card — The card has been reported stolen. It can't be used again.
- stop_payment_order — The bank declined; the code's name points to a stop-payment order on the card.
- testmode_decline — A Stripe test card number was used in a real payment.
- try_again_later — Deprecated code: the bank declined for an unknown reason; try again later.