soft decline
Recoverable failure type.
decline code
A decline code is Stripe's classification of why a payment failed. There are roughly 30 codes covering everything from card_declined (generic) to insufficient_funds (soft) to fraud_suspected (hard) to expired_card (most-recoverable). Decline codes drive both retry strategy and recovery email copy — different buckets, different conversations, different recovery rates.
In context.
PorchOps maps Stripe's ~30 decline codes into four buckets for the email layer: hard decline (non-recoverable; customer must update), soft decline (recoverable via retry plus email), expired card (most-recoverable; clear update walkthrough), and generic (lowest-pressure email; don't guess wrong).
Lou drafts different copy for each bucket. The bucket classification is configurable; defaults are conservative based on what works for $5K-$500K ARR SaaS.
Concrete instances.
expired_card → expired-card bucket → "Your card expired; here's how to update" walkthrough.
insufficient_funds → soft-decline bucket → "Your card was declined for insufficient funds; we'll retry" friendly note.
card_declined (generic) → generic-decline bucket → "Something happened with your card; here's a payment-update link" no-pressure email.
fraud_suspected → hard-decline bucket → "Your card couldn't be processed; please update payment method" no-urgency note.
Common questions.
Where do I see all the decline codes?
Stripe's documentation lists every code with descriptions. Lou's classification logic maps each to a bucket; the mapping is configurable per founder if you want custom routing.
Which decline codes recover at the highest rate?
Expired card, by a distance — a clear walkthrough works because nothing is wrong except a date. Soft declines next; the card is fine and the customer still wants to pay. Hard declines are the thin end, and the recoveries there are mostly customers who update later on their own. Generic declines vary widely; the no-pressure framing is what keeps them open.
Can I customize the bucket mapping?
Yes. Defaults are conservative; you can re-bucket specific codes (e.g., move processor_temporarily_down from soft to retry-only). Configure once; the audit log tracks outcomes.
PorchOps puts a crew of AI coworkers on your back office: recovering failed payments, sorting support, keeping the books. Everything they write waits for your approval.