What is the difference between generic decline and specific decline codes?

A generic decline (card_declined, GENERIC_DECLINE) means the issuer declined without a specific reason — often a soft decline that the cardholder should try again or contact their bank about. Specific decline codes like insufficient_funds or stolen_card tell you (and the cardholder) exactly why the payment failed, enabling more specific error messages.

Should I show decline codes to users?

Generally no. Specific decline codes (like stolen_card) should be handled generically to the user to avoid information leakage. Show users a friendly message like "Your payment was declined — please contact your bank" rather than "Your card was reported stolen." Use the specific code internally for logging and analytics.

What is a soft decline vs hard decline?

A soft decline is temporary — the card may succeed on a retry (e.g., processing error, temporary issuer unavailability). A hard decline is permanent — the card won't succeed regardless of retries (stolen card, expired card, closed account). Your error handling should distinguish between the two.

Declined Card Test Numbers — Multi-Provider Reference

Consolidated declined test card numbers across Stripe, PayPal, Adyen, Braintree, Square, and more — by decline reason and provider.

Last updated: April 2026

verifiedVerified against All Providers documentation — April 22, 2026

Official docsopen_in_new

Consolidated declined card test numbers across all supported payment providers. Each card triggers a specific decline reason — generic, insufficient funds, lost card, stolen card, expired card, or processing error.

search

Showing 34 of 43 test cards

Card Number	Network	Scenario	Code	Notes
4000 0000 0000 0002TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — generic declineGlobal	card_declined	[Stripe]
4000 0000 0000 9995TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — insufficient fundsGlobal	insufficient_funds	[Stripe]
4000 0000 0000 9987TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — lost cardGlobal	lost_card	[Stripe]
4000 0000 0000 9979TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — stolen cardGlobal	stolen_card	[Stripe]
4000 0000 0000 0069TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — expired cardGlobal	expired_card	[Stripe]
4000 0000 0000 0119TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — processing errorGlobal	processing_error	[Stripe]
4242 4242 4242 4454TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — incorrect numberGlobal	incorrect_number	[Stripe]
4000 0000 0000 0002TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — do not honorGlobal	INSTRUMENT_DECLINED	[PayPal]
4111 1111 1111 1115TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — insufficient fundsGlobal	INSUFFICIENT_FUNDS	[PayPal]
5105 1051 0510 5100TEST ONLY	Mastercard	Declined — expired cardGlobal	EXPIRED_CARD	[PayPal]
4000 0000 0000 0002TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — genericGlobal	Refused	[Adyen]
4000 0000 0000 9995TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — insufficient fundsGlobal	Refused:InsufficientFunds	[Adyen]
4000 0000 0000 0069TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — expired cardGlobal	Refused:ExpiredCard	[Adyen]
4000 1111 1111 1115TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — do not honorGlobal	processor_declined	[Braintree] Processor response code: 2000 — Do Not Honor.
4000 1111 1111 1123TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — insufficient fundsGlobal	insufficient_funds	[Braintree] Processor response code: 2001.
4000 1111 1111 1131TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — lost or stolen cardGlobal	card_reported_lost_or_stolen	[Braintree] Processor response code: 2053.
4012 0000 3333 0026TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — card account length errorGlobal	—	[Braintree]
4000 0000 0000 0002TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — do not honorGlobal	GENERIC_DECLINE	[Square]
4000 0000 0000 1026TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — invalid accountGlobal	INVALID_ACCOUNT	[Square]
4000 0000 0000 1034TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — card expiredGlobal	EXPIRED_CARD	[Square]
4000 0000 0000 1042TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — insufficient fundsGlobal	INSUFFICIENT_FUNDS	[Square]
4000 0000 0000 0002TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — genericIndia	PAYMENT_FAILED	[Razorpay]
4000 0000 0000 9995TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — insufficient fundsIndia	BAD_REQUEST_ERROR	[Razorpay]
4000 0000 0000 0119TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — processing errorIndia	GATEWAY_ERROR	[Razorpay]
4000 0000 0000 0002TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — card declinedEU	card_declined	[Mollie]
4000 0000 0000 9995TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — insufficient fundsEU	insufficient_funds	[Mollie]
4000 0000 0000 0069TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — expired cardEU	expired_card	[Mollie]
4000 0000 0000 0002TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — soft declineGlobal	soft_decline	[Checkout.com]
4000 0000 0000 0119TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — processing errorGlobal	processing_error	[Checkout.com]
4000 0000 0000 1091TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — blockedGlobal	blocked	[Checkout.com]
4111 1111 1111 1111TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — use amount $0.01 or test decline triggerUS	2	[Authorize.net] Authorize.net simulates declines via specific transaction amounts or AVS values, not just card numbers. Amount $0.02 triggers a decline in sandbox.
4444 3333 2222 1111TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — refusedGlobal	5	[Worldpay] Use expiry month 01 to trigger a refusal response.
4444 1111 2222 3333TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — card stolenGlobal	43	[Worldpay]
4444 2222 3333 4444TEST ONLY	Visa	Declined — insufficient fundsGlobal	51	[Worldpay]

TEST ONLY. These numbers will not process real transactions. Use only in All Providers's sandbox environment with test API credentials.

What it does

All decline types covered

Generic decline, insufficient funds, lost card, stolen card, expired card, processing error, and do not honor — all in one place.

Provider-specific decline codes

Each card shows the exact decline code or error it returns for that provider (e.g., Stripe's insufficient_funds, Braintree's 2001).

Multi-provider consolidation

Decline cards from Stripe, PayPal, Adyen, Braintree, Square, Razorpay, and more — labeled by provider.

Test your error handling

Use these cards to verify that your checkout displays the right error message for each decline type.

How to use Declined Card Test Numbers — Multi-Provider Reference

1
Pick a decline scenario
Use the search or filter to find a card for the specific decline you want to test (e.g., "insufficient" for insufficient funds).
2
Note the provider
Cards are labeled [Stripe], [Adyen], etc. Use the card with that provider's sandbox credentials.
3
Submit in your checkout
Enter the card in your payment form. The provider's sandbox returns the decline.
4
Verify error handling
Check that your checkout displays a helpful error message matching the decline type.

Building robust decline handling

Payment declines fall into two categories: soft declines (temporary, worth retrying) and hard declines (permanent, no point retrying). Generic declines (do_not_honor) are technically soft but usually indicate the cardholder should contact their bank.

For the best checkout experience: show a human-readable error message, suggest contacting the bank for generic declines, offer alternative payment methods, and for insufficient funds, don't suggest retrying with the same card. Log the specific decline code internally for debugging and analytics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between generic decline and specific decline codes?: A generic decline (card_declined, GENERIC_DECLINE) means the issuer declined without a specific reason — often a soft decline that the cardholder should try again or contact their bank about. Specific decline codes like insufficient_funds or stolen_card tell you (and the cardholder) exactly why the payment failed, enabling more specific error messages.
Should I show decline codes to users?: Generally no. Specific decline codes (like stolen_card) should be handled generically to the user to avoid information leakage. Show users a friendly message like "Your payment was declined — please contact your bank" rather than "Your card was reported stolen." Use the specific code internally for logging and analytics.
What is a soft decline vs hard decline?: A soft decline is temporary — the card may succeed on a retry (e.g., processing error, temporary issuer unavailability). A hard decline is permanent — the card won't succeed regardless of retries (stolen card, expired card, closed account). Your error handling should distinguish between the two.