Stripe decline code
insufficient_funds
The card is valid, but the account doesn't have enough money to cover the charge at the moment it was attempted.
Why it happens
- The customer's balance is temporarily low (e.g. just before payday).
- A debit card with a daily spending limit was hit.
- The renewal landed at an inconvenient point in the customer's billing cycle.
Should you retry it?
Yes — retrying usually recovers it
The card itself works, so the same card often succeeds once the balance recovers. This is one of the most recoverable decline reasons.
How to recover it
Retry on a schedule that gives the balance time to recover, and email the customer so they can top up or switch cards if needed.
Recoverly retries insufficient_funds at 3, 7, 14 and 28 days after the first failure — spaced to align with typical pay cycles — for up to 4 attempts within a 30-day window.
See how much failed-payment revenue you can recover
Connect Stripe (we only read) and Recoverly shows your recoverable revenue in 30 seconds.
Related decline codes
Recoverly retries up to 4 times within 30 days. This page is informational and not affiliated with Stripe.