---
title: "Troubleshooting failed payments"
description: "Learn about the common reasons why payments that go through 3D Secure authentication might fail."
url: "https://docs.adyen.com/issuing/3d-secure/troubleshooting"
source_url: "https://docs.adyen.com/issuing/3d-secure/troubleshooting.md"
canonical: "https://docs.adyen.com/issuing/3d-secure/troubleshooting"
last_modified: "2024-07-04T10:01:00+02:00"
language: "en"
---

# Troubleshooting failed payments

Learn about the common reasons why payments that go through 3D Secure authentication might fail.

[View source](/issuing/3d-secure/troubleshooting.md)

The following are common reasons why payments that go through 3D Secure authentication might fail.

## Authentication failed

When 3D Secure authentication fails, you will likely receive a feedback from your cardholder that they are unable to use their card. You do not receive a relayed authorisation or a webhook, and you do not see the payment in the **Payments** list in your [Customer Area](https://ca-test.adyen.com/). This is because the payment is already blocked after the authentication, and the authorisation is not sent to Adyen.

To resolve this issue, make sure that the card is enrolled in 3D Secure with one of the methods listed above before retrying the payment. If the issue persists, contact our [Support Team](https://ca-test.adyen.com/ca/ca/contactUs/support.shtml?form=other).

## The card has been blocked

When 3D Secure authentication fails multiple times, you will likely receive a feedback from your cardholder that they are unable to use their card. As required by PSD2 regulations, Adyen temporarily blocks a card from performing 3D Secure authentication after *five consecutive failed authentication attempts*.

To resolve this issue:

* Wait an hour until the block is automatically lifted, then ask the cardholder to try again.
* If the card needs to be unblocked more quickly, contact our [Support Team](https://ca-test.adyen.com/ca/ca/contactUs/support.shtml?form=other). We may require additional information about the cardholder to verify the ownership of the card.

## The payment requires SCA but the processing merchant skipped 3D Secure

Following PSD2 requirements, by default, Adyen declines a payment if a merchant skips 3D Secure authentication for a payment that requires SCA.

Alternatively, you can choose to enable soft declines for the cards that you issue. When enabled, Adyen sends a soft decline and informs the merchant to retry the payment with a 3D Secure flow. It is up to the merchant to retry the payment. To enable soft declines, reach out to your Adyen contact.

When a payment is soft declined, Adyen sends a [balancePlatform.payment.created](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/#/balanceplatform-webhooks/latest/post/balancePlatform.payment.created) webhook for the failed authorisation. In the [validationResult](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/payment-webhooks/1/post/balancePlatform.payment.created#request-data-validationResult) array, you will find the `type` **PSD2SoftDeclineCheck** with an **invalid** `result`.

You can also see the payment attempt in the **Transfers** list in your [Customer Area](https://ca-test.adyen.com/).

## See also

* [3D Secure overview](/issuing/3d-secure)
* [Out-of-band authentication](/issuing/3d-secure/oob-auth-sdk)
