Credit & Debit Cards - Dodo Payments Documentation

Card payments are the foundation of online payments, accepted globally and trusted by customers worldwide. Dodo Payments supports all major card networks with built-in fraud protection and PCI compliance.

Supported Card Networks

Global Networks

Network	Coverage
Visa	Global leader, 4B+ cards worldwide
Mastercard	Global reach, strong security features
American Express	Premium cardholders, higher spending
Discover	US-focused, growing globally
JCB	Leading in Japan, expanding across Asia
UnionPay	Dominant in China, 8B+ cards
Diners Club	Premium international travelers

Regional Networks

Network	Region
Interac	Canada’s debit network
Cartes Bancaires	France’s national network
Korean Local Cards	Korean domestic networks
Rupay	India’s national network

Configuration

Use these values in allowed_payment_method_types:

Type	Description
`credit`	All credit cards
`debit`	All debit cards

const session = await client.checkoutSessions.create({
  product_cart: [{ product_id: 'prod_123', quantity: 1 }],
  allowed_payment_method_types: ['credit', 'debit'],
  return_url: 'https://example.com/success'
});

Include both credit and debit unless you have a specific reason to exclude one. Debit cards are preferred by many customers and often have lower fees.

3D Secure Authentication

3D Secure (3DS) adds an authentication layer that reduces fraud and chargebacks by verifying the cardholder’s identity.

When 3DS is Triggered

3DS is automatically triggered when:

Required by the card network
Required by regional regulations (e.g., PSD2 in Europe)
The transaction is flagged as high-risk

Force 3DS

You can require 3DS on all transactions:

const session = await client.checkoutSessions.create({
  product_cart: [{ product_id: 'prod_123', quantity: 1 }],
  force_3ds: true,
  return_url: 'https://example.com/success'
});

Enabling 3DS for all transactions reduces fraud but may slightly decrease conversion as some customers abandon during authentication.

Handling Authentication Failures

When a payment needs 3DS authentication, the payment moves through intermediate states before it succeeds or fails:

Status	Meaning	What to do
`requires_customer_action`	The customer must complete a 3DS challenge	Have the customer complete authentication during checkout
`requires_payment_method`	The customer never provided a payment method (didn’t enter details or abandoned the prompt) — usually a drop-off, not a decline	Re-engage the customer to complete checkout; see Abandoned Cart Recovery

If authentication does not complete, the payment fails with one of these decline codes:

AUTHENTICATION_FAILURE — the customer could not be authenticated.
AUTHENTICATION_REQUIRED — authentication is required but was not performed.
AUTHENTICATION_TIMEOUT — the customer did not respond in time.

See the Transaction Failures reference for the recommended action for each.

At Checkout vs. on Renewal

At checkout (customer present): The customer is present, so the 3DS challenge is shown during checkout. If it fails, ask them to retry or use another card.
On subscription renewal (customer not present): The customer is not present, so a 3DS challenge cannot be displayed in real time. If a renewal requires authentication, the subscription moves to on_hold. Recover it by prompting the customer to return and update their payment method — see Handle Payment Failures and Subscription Dunning.

Saved Payment Methods

Customers can save their cards for faster future checkouts.

Tokenized

Original card numbers never stored.

PCI Compliant

Dodo handles all compliance.

Customer-Scoped

Cards tied to specific customers.

Enable Saved Cards

const session = await client.checkoutSessions.create({
  product_cart: [{ product_id: 'prod_123', quantity: 1 }],
  show_saved_payment_methods: true,
  customer: { customer_id: 'cus_existing_123' },
  return_url: 'https://example.com/success'
});

One-Click Purchases

// Get customer's saved payment methods
const methods = await client.customers.retrievePaymentMethods('cus_123');

// Use saved card for instant checkout
const session = await client.checkoutSessions.create({
  product_cart: [{ product_id: 'prod_123', quantity: 1 }],
  customer: { customer_id: 'cus_123' },
  payment_method_id: methods.items[0].payment_method_id,
  confirm: true,
  return_url: 'https://example.com/success'
});

Testing

Successful Payments
Declined Payments

Region	Brand	Card Number	Expiry	CVV
US	Visa	`4242424242424242`	06/32	123
US	Mastercard	`5555555555554444`	06/32	123
India	Visa	`4576238912771450`	06/32	123
India	Mastercard	`5409162669381034`	06/32	123

Region	Brand	Card Number	Scenario
US	Visa	`4000000000000002`	Generic decline
US	Mastercard	`4000000000009995`	Insufficient funds
India	Visa	`4706131211212123`	Generic decline
India	Mastercard	`5105105105105100`	Generic decline

Test cards only work in test mode. Never use them for production transactions.

Security & Compliance

Feature	Description
PCI DSS Level 1	Highest level of certification
Tokenization	Card numbers immediately tokenized
Fraud Scoring	Real-time risk assessment
AVS	Address Verification Service
CVV Validation	Security code verification
3D Secure	Cardholder authentication

Best Practices

Accept all major networks

Don’t restrict card types unless necessary. Customers expect their preferred card to work.

Display card logos

Show Visa, Mastercard, Amex logos on your checkout to build trust.

Handle declines gracefully

Show clear error messages. Don’t expose raw error codes to customers.

Enable saved cards for returning customers

Saved payment methods significantly boost conversion for repeat purchases.

Troubleshooting

Card declined

Causes: Insufficient funds, card expired, incorrect CVV, bank fraud protection.Solution: Ask customer to verify details or try a different card. Look up the specific decline Error Code and its recommended action in the Transaction Failures reference, and see Handle Payment Failures for programmatic handling.

3DS authentication failed

Causes: Customer abandoned, bank system unavailable, timeout.Solution: Retry or ask customer to contact their bank. See Handling Authentication Failures for the payment states and decline codes involved.

Card not supported

Causes: Regional card not supported, prepaid restrictions.Solution: Customer should try a different card from a major network.

Payment Methods Overview

All supported payment methods.

Upsells & Downsells

One-click purchases with saved cards.

Testing Process

Complete testing guide.

Subscriptions

Recurring billing with cards.

​Supported Card Networks

​Global Networks

​Regional Networks

​Configuration

​3D Secure Authentication

​When 3DS is Triggered

​Force 3DS

​Handling Authentication Failures

​At Checkout vs. on Renewal

​Saved Payment Methods

Tokenized

PCI Compliant

Customer-Scoped

​Enable Saved Cards

​One-Click Purchases

​Testing

​Security & Compliance

​Best Practices

​Troubleshooting

​Related Pages

Payment Methods Overview

Upsells & Downsells

Testing Process

Subscriptions

Supported Card Networks

Global Networks

Regional Networks

Configuration

3D Secure Authentication

When 3DS is Triggered

Force 3DS

Handling Authentication Failures

At Checkout vs. on Renewal

Saved Payment Methods

Enable Saved Cards

One-Click Purchases

Testing

Security & Compliance

Best Practices

Troubleshooting

Related Pages