When an operation is declined by fraud prevention, the risk analysis detected a combination of signals that makes it too risky to process. It's a protective measure for you: a fraudulent payment charged today often becomes a chargeback tomorrow, with the cost on your side.
What it means (and what it doesn't)
- It doesn't always mean the customer is a fraudster: some legitimate operations show atypical signals and are stopped as a precaution.
- It isn't a block by the issuing bank — that's a different decline; this one happens in the platform's risk analysis.
- It doesn't indicate a problem with your account or your integration.
What to do in each case
- The customer insists it's a legitimate purchase
Suggest they try again, making sure their details are consistent: name, email, and address exactly as they appear on their payment method. A second attempt with consistent details may be evaluated differently.
- The retry was also declined
Offer them an alternative payment method — SPEI bank transfer, cash, or a different card. Each method has its own risk profile, and bank transfers and cash don't generate chargebacks.
- You don't know the customer and the order is unusual
Treat it as a warning: atypical amounts, rushed delivery, or inconsistent details are classic fraud patterns. When in doubt, it's better to lose a sale than to absorb a chargeback.
- Declines keep happening with many different customers
If you notice an unusual volume of risk declines on operations you consider legitimate, contact Support with the operation IDs and dates so the team can review your account's behavior.
Next step
To understand the full context of the risk analysis, see How Conekta's fraud prevention works. If the decline doesn't mention fraud prevention, the cause may be with the issuing bank: see Why a payment was declined.