Card decline code
generic_decline: Generic decline
The payment was declined for an unspecified reason. Stripe also returns generic_decline when its own fraud screening blocks a charge, and for lost, stolen or fraudulent cards it reports to customers.
What generic_decline means
generic_decline means no specific reason was given. The issuer may have declined without explanation, or the charge may have been blocked by fraud rules before reaching the bank.
Stripe recommends showing generic_decline to customers in place of lost_card, stolen_card, fraudulent and merchant_blacklist, so you will sometimes see it for cards that will never work again.
Should you retry the payment?
A limited number of spaced retries is reasonable because some generic declines are temporary. If it keeps failing, the customer needs to call their bank or use another card.
How to recover a subscription payment declined with generic_decline
- Email the customer right away: the bank declined the charge and only they can find out why.
- Ask them to call the number on the back of the card and approve future charges from your business, or to switch to another card.
- Retry once or twice after they confirm, spaced at least a day apart. Do not hammer the card.
- If nothing changes, escalate to a WhatsApp message (or a phone call) before the subscription is cancelled.
What to tell the customer
Tell the customer the payment was declined and offer both fixes: call the bank, or switch cards.
"Hi Sam, we could not process your $49 payment for Acme. Your bank did not give a reason. You can update your card here, or contact your bank and we will try again."
More wording for every situation is in our dunning email templates.
How Revnio handles generic_decline
Revnio records generic_decline on the failed payment, follows your retry schedule (by default 1, 3, 5 and 7 days, adjusted for the customer's value and plan, and moved to weekday business hours), and emails the customer a secure link to pay or update their card. WhatsApp (Pro plan) reminders follow if the email is not clicked. The Insights page shows how often each decline code recovers for you. On Paddle, Paddle runs the payment retries itself and Revnio handles the customer outreach.
Decline codes are returned by the card issuer through your payment processor. Code names here follow Stripe's; Chargebee and Paddle surface the same issuer reasons with their own wording. Last reviewed 2026-10-15.
Frequently asked questions
What does decline code generic_decline mean?
The payment was declined for an unspecified reason. Stripe also returns generic_decline when its own fraud screening blocks a charge, and for lost, stolen or fraudulent cards it reports to customers.
Should I retry a payment declined with generic_decline?
Once or twice, spaced out. A limited number of spaced retries is reasonable because some generic declines are temporary. If it keeps failing, the customer needs to call their bank or use another card.
Can Revnio recover payments declined with generic_decline?
Revnio picks up the failed payment from Stripe, Chargebee or Paddle, adjusts retry timing to the decline code, and reaches the customer by email and WhatsApp (SMS is coming soon) with a secure link to pay or update their card.
Recover failed payments on autopilot
Revnio retries failed payments at the right time and reaches customers by email and WhatsApp until the card is fixed. Works with Stripe, Chargebee and Paddle.
Related
- do_not_honorThe issuing bank declined the payment without giving a reason. It is a catch-all code: the cause might be a fraud check, an account restriction or the bank's own rules.
- card_declinedcard_declined is the error type Stripe returns for every declined card payment. The specific reason lives in the accompanying decline_code; when there is none, treat it like a generic decline.
- fraudulentStripe's fraud systems judged the payment likely fraudulent and blocked it. Do not retry the card; for a known subscriber, ask them to confirm their details or use another card.
- All decline codesEvery common card decline code, grouped by what to do next.
- Dunning email templatesCopy-ready emails for each kind of failed payment.