diff --git a/app/(protected)/(tabs)/kyc.native.tsx b/app/(protected)/(tabs)/kyc.native.tsx
index bf70592d..46fb42de 100644
--- a/app/(protected)/(tabs)/kyc.native.tsx
+++ b/app/(protected)/(tabs)/kyc.native.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export default function KycNative() {
     markStarted,
     onVerificationComplete,
     onVerificationPending,
+    onVerificationDeclined,
     onVerificationError,
   } = useDiditSession();
 
@@ -40,7 +41,10 @@ export default function KycNative() {
           if (result.session.status === VerificationStatus.Approved) {
             onVerificationComplete();
           } else if (result.session.status === VerificationStatus.Declined) {
-            onVerificationError('Your identity verification was declined.');
+            // Redirect to /card/activate so the user sees specific Didit warnings
+            // (DOCUMENT_EXPIRED, DATE_OF_BIRTH_NOT_DETECTED, ...) instead of a
+            // generic declined screen with a retry button that loops.
+            onVerificationDeclined();
           } else {
             // 'Pending', 'In Review', etc. — redirect back to activate page
             // so user sees "Under Review" state instead of blank page
@@ -71,6 +75,7 @@ export default function KycNative() {
     initSession,
     onVerificationComplete,
     onVerificationPending,
+    onVerificationDeclined,
     onVerificationError,
   ]);
 
diff --git a/app/(protected)/(tabs)/kyc.tsx b/app/(protected)/(tabs)/kyc.tsx
index e7e1e2c5..3ecbbd9a 100644
--- a/app/(protected)/(tabs)/kyc.tsx
+++ b/app/(protected)/(tabs)/kyc.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ export default function KycWeb() {
     markStarted,
     onVerificationComplete,
     onVerificationPending,
+    onVerificationDeclined,
     onVerificationError,
   } = useDiditSession();
   const hasStartedRef = useRef(false);
@@ -41,7 +42,10 @@ export default function KycWeb() {
           if (result.session?.status === 'Approved') {
             onVerificationComplete();
           } else if (result.session?.status === 'Declined') {
-            onVerificationError('Your identity verification was declined.');
+            // Redirect to /card/activate so the user sees specific Didit warnings
+            // (DOCUMENT_EXPIRED, DATE_OF_BIRTH_NOT_DETECTED, ...) instead of a
+            // generic "declined" screen with a retry button that loops.
+            onVerificationDeclined();
           } else {
             // 'Pending' shows up here for manual-review sessions.
             onVerificationPending();
@@ -82,7 +86,7 @@ export default function KycWeb() {
           break;
         case 'Declined':
           hasStartedRef.current = false;
-          onVerificationError('Your identity verification was declined.');
+          onVerificationDeclined();
           break;
         case 'Expired':
         case 'Kyc Expired':
@@ -120,6 +124,7 @@ export default function KycWeb() {
     initSession,
     onVerificationComplete,
     onVerificationPending,
+    onVerificationDeclined,
     onVerificationError,
   ]);
 
diff --git a/components/kyc/useDiditSession.ts b/components/kyc/useDiditSession.ts
index 7ddab5c0..c4da1e6c 100644
--- a/components/kyc/useDiditSession.ts
+++ b/components/kyc/useDiditSession.ts
@@ -118,6 +118,29 @@ export function useDiditSession() {
     redirectBasedOnKycStatus(KycStatus.UNDER_REVIEW);
   }, [redirectBasedOnKycStatus]);
 
+  /**
+   * Didit terminal Declined: ID failed validation (e.g. expired doc, missing DOB, blocklist).
+   * Bounce back to /card/activate?kycStatus=rejected so the step-1 description renders the
+   * specific warnings (formatted via DIDIT_WARNING_DESCRIPTIONS / short_description) and the
+   * user clicks "Retry KYC" — which spins up a fresh Didit session via initSession. Without
+   * this redirect the user gets stuck on /kyc with a generic error and a "Try again" button
+   * that loops the same broken document.
+   */
+  const onVerificationDeclined = useCallback(() => {
+    Toast.show({
+      type: 'error',
+      text1: 'Verification declined',
+      text2: 'Review the details and try again with a valid document.',
+      props: { badgeText: '' },
+    });
+    redirectBasedOnKycStatus(KycStatus.REJECTED);
+  }, [redirectBasedOnKycStatus]);
+
+  /**
+   * Hard failure (network error, session creation failed, SDK reported `failed`). Stays on
+   * /kyc and shows the error UI with a Try-again button — distinct from Declined, which is a
+   * KYC outcome we want surfaced on /card/activate alongside the warnings.
+   */
   const onVerificationError = useCallback((message: string) => {
     Toast.show({
       type: 'error',
@@ -146,7 +169,7 @@ export function useDiditSession() {
           onVerificationPending();
         } else if (status.kycStatus === KycStatus.REJECTED || status.status === 'Declined') {
           clearInterval(interval);
-          onVerificationError('Your identity verification was declined. Please try again.');
+          onVerificationDeclined();
         } else if (status.kycStatus === KycStatus.APPROVED || status.status === 'Approved') {
           clearInterval(interval);
           onVerificationComplete();
@@ -157,7 +180,13 @@ export function useDiditSession() {
     }, POLL_INTERVAL_MS);
 
     return () => clearInterval(interval);
-  }, [session.phase, onVerificationComplete, onVerificationError, onVerificationPending]);
+  }, [
+    session.phase,
+    onVerificationComplete,
+    onVerificationDeclined,
+    onVerificationError,
+    onVerificationPending,
+  ]);
 
   // Auto-init on mount
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -170,6 +199,7 @@ export function useDiditSession() {
     markStarted,
     onVerificationComplete,
     onVerificationPending,
+    onVerificationDeclined,
     onVerificationError,
   };
 }
diff --git a/hooks/useCardSteps/kycDisplayHelpers.ts b/hooks/useCardSteps/kycDisplayHelpers.ts
index 6eacb0ca..0a00db9c 100644
--- a/hooks/useCardSteps/kycDisplayHelpers.ts
+++ b/hooks/useCardSteps/kycDisplayHelpers.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   BridgeRejectionReason,
   CardProvider,
   KycStatus,
+  KycWarning,
   RainApplicationStatus,
 } from '@/lib/types';
 
@@ -79,19 +80,37 @@ const DIDIT_WARNING_DESCRIPTIONS: Record<string, string> = {
   INVALID_DATE: 'A date on the document is invalid',
 };
 
-function formatDiditWarning(tag: string): string {
-  return (
-    DIDIT_WARNING_DESCRIPTIONS[tag] ??
-    tag
-      .replace(/_/g, ' ')
-      .toLowerCase()
-      .replace(/^\w/, (c) => c.toUpperCase())
-  );
+/** Convert a SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE tag into a Title-Cased phrase. */
+function formatRiskTag(tag: string): string {
+  return tag
+    .replace(/_/g, ' ')
+    .toLowerCase()
+    .replace(/^\w/, c => c.toUpperCase());
+}
+
+/**
+ * Pick the best display text for a single warning:
+ *   1. Our DIDIT_WARNING_DESCRIPTIONS override (when we want friendlier wording than Didit's)
+ *   2. Didit's `short_description` (always set for documented warnings)
+ *   3. Didit's `long_description` (rare fallback if a partial payload arrives)
+ *   4. The risk tag formatted into Title Case
+ */
+function formatDiditWarning(warning: KycWarning): string {
+  const risk = warning.risk ?? '';
+  if (risk && DIDIT_WARNING_DESCRIPTIONS[risk]) {
+    return DIDIT_WARNING_DESCRIPTIONS[risk];
+  }
+  if (warning.short_description) return warning.short_description;
+  if (warning.long_description) return warning.long_description;
+  return risk ? formatRiskTag(risk) : '';
 }
 
-function formatKycWarnings(warnings: string[]): string {
-  if (warnings.length === 0) return '';
-  return warnings.map(formatDiditWarning).join('\n- ');
+function formatKycWarnings(warnings: KycWarning[]): string {
+  if (!warnings || warnings.length === 0) return '';
+  return warnings
+    .map(formatDiditWarning)
+    .filter(line => line.length > 0)
+    .join('\n- ');
 }
 
 /**
@@ -178,7 +197,7 @@ export function getStepDescription(
     cardIssuer?: CardProvider | null;
     rainApplicationStatus?: RainApplicationStatus | null;
     kycStatus?: KycStatus | null;
-    kycWarnings?: string[] | null;
+    kycWarnings?: KycWarning[] | null;
   },
 ): string {
   // Only use Rain description for recognized Rain application statuses
diff --git a/hooks/useCardSteps/stepHelpers.ts b/hooks/useCardSteps/stepHelpers.ts
index 026fbc7a..4993a5f3 100644
--- a/hooks/useCardSteps/stepHelpers.ts
+++ b/hooks/useCardSteps/stepHelpers.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   CardProvider,
   CardStatus,
   KycStatus,
+  KycWarning,
   RainApplicationStatus,
 } from '@/lib/types';
 
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ export function buildCardSteps(
     cardIssuer?: CardProvider | null;
     rainApplicationStatus?: RainApplicationStatus | null;
     kycStatus?: KycStatus | null;
-    kycWarnings?: string[] | null;
+    kycWarnings?: KycWarning[] | null;
     handleRainKYCPress?: () => void;
   },
 ): Step[] {
diff --git a/lib/types.ts b/lib/types.ts
index 89ce50eb..750085ca 100644
--- a/lib/types.ts
+++ b/lib/types.ts
@@ -435,6 +435,22 @@ export interface CardDetailsResponseDto extends CardResponse {
   provider?: CardProvider;
 }
 
+/**
+ * A single warning entry surfaced for a user's KYC. Mirrors Didit's per-block warning shape:
+ * `risk` is the tag (DOCUMENT_EXPIRED, DATE_OF_BIRTH_NOT_DETECTED, ...) — same key space as
+ * DIDIT_WARNING_DESCRIPTIONS overrides; `short_description` / `long_description` are Didit's
+ * pre-formatted user-facing copy. Backend also synthesises one of these (with
+ * `risk: 'CARD_ACTIVATION_FAILED'`) when Rain rejects the forwarded application.
+ */
+export interface KycWarning {
+  risk: string;
+  log_type?: string;
+  short_description?: string;
+  long_description?: string;
+  feature?: string;
+  node_id?: string;
+}
+
 export interface CardStatusResponse {
   status?: CardStatus;
   activationBlocked?: boolean;
@@ -444,8 +460,8 @@ export interface CardStatusResponse {
   provider?: CardProvider;
   /** Internal KYC status (covers Didit rejection before Rain is reached) */
   kycStatus?: KycStatus;
-  /** Warning tags or reasons from Didit verification (e.g. DOCUMENT_EXPIRED). */
-  kycWarnings?: string[];
+  /** Warning entries from Didit verification (e.g. DOCUMENT_EXPIRED) and Rain forward failures. */
+  kycWarnings?: KycWarning[];
   /** Rain KYC: application status from Rain */
   rainApplicationStatus?: RainApplicationStatus;
   /** Rain: link for needsVerification redirect */