Stripe decline code: processing_error

Something went wrong while the payment was being processed, rather than the issuer making a decision about the card. Stripe is explicit that a retry is the right response here, which sets it apart from most decline codes. As an error code the wording is "An error occurred while processing the card. Try again later or with a different payment method." It also appears among local payment method declines with the reason `partner_processing_error`, meaning the provider rather than a card network hit the problem.

• A transient failure at the issuer, the card network or an intermediate processor.
• A timeout somewhere in the authorisation path.
• Capacity problems during a traffic peak.
• For a local payment method, an error inside the payment provider rather than a card network.

1. Retry the payment, which is what Stripe's documentation prescribes. Use an idempotency key so a retry cannot double-charge if the first attempt did land.
2. Back off between attempts rather than retrying instantly, and cap the number of tries.
3. If it persists for the same card, offer a different payment method — Stripe's own next step for a repeated failure.
4. Do not count these as declines in your conversion metrics. A processing error is an availability problem, and folding it into the decline rate hides both.

• Stripe issuer_not_availableissuer_not_available
• Stripe card_declinedcard_declined
• ISO 8583 96System malfunction

• Card test toolkit
• Free webhook test endpoint

Will retrying double-charge the customer?

Not if you send an idempotency key. Stripe deduplicates requests carrying the same key, so a retry of an attempt whose response you never received returns the original result instead of creating a second charge. Retrying without one is how duplicate charges happen.