stolen_card: Stripe Subscription Decline Fix
Root cause
The cardholder has reported their card stolen, and the issuing bank has flagged the card across the payment network. Any charge attempt will be declined and potentially logged as a suspicious charge event by the issuer.
Symptoms
- • Stripe returns decline_code: stolen_card on the subscription charge
- • Stripe may generate a dispute or fraud signal on your account for repeated attempts
- • Recharge continues the subscription in ACTIVE state with no revenue collected
- • All retry attempts return the same decline — no retry will succeed
- • The customer's bank may alert them to suspicious charge attempts on the stolen card
How to fix it
Stop all retries immediately — treat as fraud risk
Retrying a stolen_card charge is not just wasteful — it can generate fraud signals on your Stripe account, increasing your dispute rate and risking account flags. Immediately cancel Smart Retries in Stripe Dashboard and halt dunning in Recharge for this subscription.
Email the customer to update their payment method
The cardholder now has a new replacement card from their bank. Send a payment update email with a direct link to update their payment method in Recharge's customer portal. Use a neutral subject line — do not mention the specific decline reason, as issuer decline details are confidential.
Cancel the subscription if no update within 7 days
If the customer does not update their payment method within 7 days, cancel the Recharge subscription and update the Shopify subscription contract status to CANCELLED. This prevents ghost subscriptions where fulfillment continues without payment. Log the cancellation reason as payment_method_invalid for analytics.
Frequently asked questions
Does stolen_card mean a fraudulent customer?
Not necessarily. The cardholder's card was stolen — they are the victim, not the fraudster. The customer likely still wants their subscription but has not yet updated to their new replacement card. Approach the recovery with empathy: a simple payment update email with a clear link is the correct response.
Will my Stripe account be penalized for stolen_card declines?
A single stolen_card decline has no impact. However, repeatedly charging a stolen card after receiving the decline code can increase your dispute rate and generate fraud signals on your account. Stripe's risk systems monitor retry patterns — stop all retries immediately on stolen_card.
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