Recovery guidance
What to do when Stripe returns authentication_required
What it means for the customer
The customer may need to confirm the payment through their bank, card app, or 3D Secure flow before Stripe can collect the invoice.
First recovery move
Send a customer-safe authentication email that explains the bank needs one more confirmation step and links to the hosted payment flow.
Retry timing
Treat this as action required. Stripe documentation lists authentication_required among hard decline cases where collection needs a new payment method or customer action.
Email angle
Use reassuring language: their bank needs confirmation, and the secure link will let them finish the payment.
What to avoid
Avoid retry-only sequences. The missing piece is customer authentication, not just another attempt at the same charge.