North Metric

    generic_decline: talk to the customer.

    Read usage before you write: an active account deserves a plain email, a quiet one may be a cancellation in disguise.

    generic_declineDECLINE CODE · CONTACT CUSTOMER
    RECOVERYMEDIUMRETRYNot on your ownCUSTOMER ACTIONReply or call bank

    What does generic_decline mean in Stripe?

    It means the card was declined and neither the bank nor Stripe shared a specific reason.

    What happens next

    The same decline, handled two ways: a fixed retry ladder, and Stripe Smart Retries with North Metric following up once they end. North Metric never retries a card; its part in failed payment recovery starts when Stripe stops.

    THE NEXT 14 DAYS · EXAMPLE✕FAILED RETRYACTIONPAID
    Fixed retry ladder · day 1, 3, 5, 7Fails ×4
    M✕
    T
    W✕
    T
    F✕
    S
    S✕
    M
    T
    W
    T
    F
    S
    S
    Four attempts without knowing whether the bank or a risk rule said no. If Radar blocked it, every retry meets the same rule.
    Stripe + North MetricNote · day 14
    M
    T
    W
    T
    F
    S
    S
    M
    T
    W
    T
    F
    S
    S
    North Metric drafts one plain note asking them to call their bank or switch cards, at once if Stripe can’t retry it, or when its retries end. You approve it first.

    What it means

    Stripe also uses it when its own risk checks block a payment, so it can mean bank, network or fraud rules. Stripe returns it as a decline_code inside a card_error, so your integration sees the charge fail and the reason sits in this field.

    {
  "error": {
    "type": "card_error",
    "code": "card_declined",
    "decline_code": "generic_decline",
    "message": "Your card was declined."
  }
}

    Why it happens

    •The issuer declined the charge without giving a reason.•Stripe Radar’s risk checks blocked the payment.•A Radar rule on your own account, or Stripe’s Adaptive Acceptance, stopped it.

    What to do

    01Read usage firstActive account? Ask them to call their bank. Falling usage? Treat it as a cancellation risk.
    02Send one plain emailAsk them to approve the charge with their bank, or switch cards.
    03Collect once it’s fixedWhen the bank clears it or a new card is saved, the open invoice can be paid.
    See which customers with a failed payment are at risk, in your own Stripe.Actions off until you turn them onGet your free churn report →

    What to tell the customer

    Ask plainly. Their bank declined it without a reason; a quick call or a different card fixes it.

    From: Maya at AcmeSubject: Your bank declined this month’s payment
    Hi Sam, Your bank declined this month’s Acme payment without giving us a reason. A quick call to them usually clears it, or you can switch cards here. Reply if you’d like us to try again. Maya
    SEND AT ONCE IF STRIPE CAN’T RETRY, OR WHEN ITS RETRIES END

    What not to do

    ✕Retry four times in a week.✕Assume fraud and lock the account.✕Offer a discount; this isn’t about price.
    01RELATED CODES

    Same type,same playbook.

    Codes Stripe returns for the same underlying reason. Each one opens its own guide.

    do_not_honorThe issuer declined without giving a reasonMEDIUMOpen code →transaction_not_allowedThe card can’t be used for this purchaseMEDIUMOpen code →insufficient_fundsThe card is valid but the balance was too lowHIGHOpen code →
    All decline codes →
    02FAQ

    Questions aboutthis decline.

    Short answers. The full list of codes is one click away.

    Neither, exactly: a retry alone won’t work, but the customer can fix it (reply or call bank).

    AFTER STRIPE’S RETRIES

    Know who’s at riskafter a decline.

    Actions off until you turn them on