Library · Payment orchestration · Guide
Soft vs hard decline
GuideSoft vs hard: next actionBack to article
Soft can retry on this merchant account. Hard kills the token. We do not invent an issuer code table.
| Family | Soft or hard | Next action | Do not |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do not honor | Soft | One retry on this MID, then stop | Do not cascade five times. Do not open a new MID. |
| Insufficient funds | Soft | Retry later on this same MID | Do not burn a new MID cap |
| CVV / AVS fail | Soft (data) | Retry once with correct data or 3DS | Do not strip CVV to force an auth |
| 3DS failed | Soft (auth) | Fall back only if this MID is enrolled and the rule says so | Do not send the same shopper around every 3DS MID |
| Pick up card | Hard | Kill the token. Do not retry. | Never hop to another MID |
| Invalid / no account | Hard | Ask a new card. Do not retry this PAN. | Do not hop the dead PAN |
| Fraud / security | Hard | Stop. Log the BIN. | Do not retry for conversion |
Filter by family. Soft means a retry may stay on this merchant account. Hard means stop. Do not hop a hard fail. Do not strip CVV to force an auth.
Pairing procedure: Soft vs hard decline: next action. Topic: Payment orchestration.
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