merchant_blacklist
Issuer has blacklisted your merchant account.
What just happened
The bank specifically blocked your merchant from this customer's card. Could be customer dispute history.
Retry strategy
Don't retry. Won't change without customer or issuer action.
What to tell the customer
Your bank has restricted charges to our service. Please contact your bank or try a different card.
Recommended action
Manual review. Customer-success outreach to understand reason.
Want to see what this looks like on your Stripe?
See how often "merchant_blacklist" hits your Stripe account in the last 30 days — and how much MRR is at risk because of it.
Related codes
Frequently asked questions
Is "merchant_blacklist" a soft or hard decline?+
It's classified as a fraud / risk: Issuer flagged the charge. Don't retry without customer contact — risks chargebacks.
Should I retry a "merchant_blacklist" decline?+
Don't retry. Won't change without customer or issuer action.
What should I tell my customer when this happens?+
Your bank has restricted charges to our service. Please contact your bank or try a different card.
How do I prevent this decline going forward?+
Manual review. Customer-success outreach to understand reason.
Does Rechurn handle this decline code automatically?+
Yes. Rechurn classifies "merchant_blacklist" and runs the optimal retry cadence with a personalized email sequence. Run a free audit to see how many of your failed charges are this code.