How can I simulate a failed-then-succeeded refund in Stripe test mode?

Below is some background and our current findings regarding refund failure simulation in test mode:

Refund Behavior in Test Mode

Stripe’s test mode is designed so that refund calls (via a create_refund API call) typically complete immediately or transition from a pending to a succeeded state using test cards. The published documentation details how to simulate a pending-then-succeeded refund scenario.

Failed-Then-Succeeded Refund Simulation

Currently, there isn’t a supported test helper or a designated test credit card number to trigger a refund that initially fails and then later succeeds. In test mode, refunds for charges made with test card numbers will not be simulated to fail. Instead, the refund request (using the create_refund endpoint) will process based on the pending-then-succeeded behavior if applicable.

What This Means for Your Integration

• No Dedicated Test Card: There is no particular test credit card number provided to induce a refund failure.
• Test Mode Limitations: The test environment does not support simulating a scenario where a refund fails initially and then later succeeds. All refund API calls in test mode are designed to eventually succeed (or, at most, show a pending state before succeeding).

To fully test your refund failure recovery logic, you might need to consider simulating error conditions on your application side (or via mocks) because within Stripe’s test mode, such a state transition isn’t exposed.

If you need further clarification or have additional questions on refund flows, feel free to ask!