API reference

Decision reason: affordability

Q: Where does affordability appear in the payload?

Under data.object.reason in the decision.completed webhook. Verify the signature, then branch on it.

affordability is a decision reason value. The application did not meet affordability criteria. It appears in the <a href="/reference/event-decision-referred/">decision.completed</a> webhook payload under reason. Show a clear, respectful decline and, where relevant, signpost a smaller amount or a later re-apply.

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affordabilityreason value

decisionDomain

data.objectCarries reason

What it means

The application did not meet affordability criteria. The assessed cash flow did not support the requested facility.

Where you see it

It arrives in the webhook payload:

{
  "data": {
    "object": {
      "id": "dec_5H2N8",
      "enquiry_id": "enq_9F3K2P",
      "outcome": "declined",
      "reason": "affordability"
    }
  }
}

How to handle it

Show a clear, respectful decline and, where relevant, signpost a smaller amount or a later re-apply.

Keep declines respectful and never expose the underlying assessment data. See how to apply and the eligibility criteria.

In practice

Treat affordability as one branch of your reason handling, not the whole story. For decisions, the value explains the outcome so you can present it honestly without exposing the assessment. Map it to clear, humane copy, and where relevant signpost a constructive next step — a smaller amount, more trading evidence, or a later re-application. Never surface the raw code to the customer.