Decline Reasons Codes

01

Refer to Issuer

The issuing bank requires the cardholder to contact them for further verification.

Ask the cardholder to call their bank.

02

Refer to card issuer's special conditions

Similar to Code 01, but may involve specific conditions like suspected fraud.

Ask the cardholder to contact their bank.

03

Invalid Merchant

The merchant's account is not properly set up with the payment processor.

Contact your payment processor to verify account status.

04

Pick Up

The card has been flagged for potential fraud or other issues; the issuer wants it confiscated.

Do not attempt the transaction; request another payment method.

05

Do Not Honor

The issuing bank has blocked the transaction, often due to suspected fraud or account issues.

Ask the cardholder to contact their bank to resolve the issue.

06

Error

A general error occurred during processing, often due to technical issues.

Re-enter the transaction or contact the payment processor.

07

Pick Up Card, Special Condition

Similar to Code 04, but with specific fraud-related conditions.

Do not attempt the transaction; request another payment method.

12

Invalid Transaction

The transaction type is not supported by the card or processor.

Verify transaction details or request another payment method.

13

Invalid Amount

The transaction amount is incorrect or exceeds allowable limits.

Check the amount and retry or request another payment method.

14

Invalid Card Number (no such number)

The card number provided is incorrect or not recognized by the issuing bank.

Verify the card number with the cardholder and re-enter.

15

No Such Issuer

The card's issuing bank cannot be identified based on the card number.

Confirm card details or request a different payment method.

19

Re-enter Transaction

A processing error requires the transaction to be resubmitted.

Re-enter the transaction or contact the payment processor.

20

Invalid Response

The payment processor received an invalid or unreadable response from the issuer (bank).

Retry the transaction; check data formatting.

21

No action taken

The transaction was not processed, possibly due to an error or timeout.

Retry with stable connectivity or use another method if needed.

22

Suspected Malfunction

The issuer suspects a technical issue (e.g., system error, communication failure).

Retry later or contact their bank to confirm whether there are any holds or restrictions on the card.

23

Unacceptable transaction fee

The transaction fee is too high or not accepted by the issuer.

Use a different card or adjust payment amount.

24

File update not supported by receiver

The merchant or processor does not support the requested file update (e.g., card details update).

Manually update details or request a new payment method.

25

Unable to Locate Record on file

The issuer cannot find the account associated with the card.

Ask the cardholder to verify card details or use another payment method.

27

File update field edit error

An error occurred while trying to update customer payment information due to invalid or malformed data in one or more fields.

Verify that all the data is valid.

28

File update file locked out

The issuer's system is temporarily down or unavailable.

Wait and retry the transaction later.

29

File update not successful, contact acquirer

The merchant's system failed to update payment details (e.g., card expiration date, billing info) due to a technical issue with the processor.

Contact your payment provider (acquirer) to resolve the file update error.

30

Format Error

The transaction data was formatted incorrectly by the merchant's system.

Check transaction data and retry or contact the processor.

31

Bank not supported by switch

The card issuer (bank) is not recognized or supported by the payment network being used for processing.

Check transaction data and retry or contact the processor.

33

Expired Card

The card used for the transaction has passed its expiration date and is no longer valid for payments.

Update payment method.

34

Suspected Fraud

The card issuer has flagged the transaction as potentially fraudulent.

Do not retry the transaction, and contact the bank to confirm your identity and approve the transaction.

35

Card acceptor contact acquirer

The merchant (card acceptor) must contact their payment processor (acquirer) for further instructions.

Retry the transaction, and if it persists, contact your payment processor for resolution.

36

Restricted Card

The card is restricted (possibly expired, blocked, or limited to specific transactions).

Verify if the card is expired or reported lost/stolen, or use a different card, or contact the bank.

37

Card Acceptor Call Acquirer Security

Potential fraud suspected-merchant must call their processor's security team.

Do not retry the transaction, and contact your payment processor's fraud department immediately.

38

Allowable PIN Tries Exceeded

Too many incorrect PIN attempts (common in debit/ATM transactions).

Ask the customer to use another payment method (or correct PIN if possible).

39

No Credit Account

The card is not linked to a valid credit account.

Request another payment method.

41

Lost Card

The card has been reported lost, and the issuer has blocked the transaction.

Do not attempt the transaction; request another payment method.

42

No universal account

The card issuer (bank) does not recognize the account type being used for this transaction.

Verify the card details or use a different card. If it persists, contact the card issuer bank.

43

Stolen Card, Pick Up

The card has been reported stolen, and the issuer has blocked the transaction.

Do not attempt the transaction; request another payment method.

44

No Investment Account

The card is linked to an investment account, not a standard credit account.

Request another payment method.

46

Closed Account

The cardholder's account has been closed.

Request another payment method.

51

Not sufficient funds

The cardholder's account lacks sufficient funds or credit for the transaction.

Request an alternative payment method or lower amount.

52

No Checking Account

The card is not linked to a valid checking account (for debit transactions).

Request another payment method.

53

No Savings Account

The card is not linked to a valid savings account (for debit transactions).

Request another payment method.

54

Expired Card

The card has passed its expiration date.

Ask for a valid card or updated card information.

55

Incorrect personal identification number

The PIN entered for the transaction is incorrect.

Ask the cardholder to re-enter the PIN or use another method.

56

No card record

The card number is invalid, closed, or does not exist in the issuer's system.

Verify the card details or use a different card. If it persists, contact the card issuer bank.

57

Transaction not permitted to cardholder

The transaction type is not allowed for this card (e.g., restricted card type).

Ask the cardholder to use a different card or payment method.

58

Transaction Not Permitted To Terminal

The merchant's terminal is not authorized for this transaction type.

Contact the payment processor to verify terminal settings.

59

Suspected Fraud

The issuer has flagged the transaction as potentially fraudulent.

Ask the cardholder to contact their bank or use another method.

60

Card acceptor contact acquirer

The transaction was flagged for manual review by the payment processor or issuer.

Do not retry the transaction, and contact your payment processor's fraud department immediately.

61

Exceeds Withdrawal Limit

The transaction exceeds the card's withdrawal limit.

Suggest a lower amount or request another payment method.

62

Restricted Card

The card is restricted due to specific limitations set by the issuer.

Request an alternative payment method.

63

Security Violation

The transaction violates security protocols (e.g., incorrect CVV).

Verify security details (e.g., CVV) or request another method.

64

Original amount incorrect

The transaction references a previous authorization, but the amount doesn't match the original authorized sum.

Verify the transaction amount matches any previous authorizations exactly, and check your authorization records if this is a follow-up transaction. For refunds, ensure you're not exceeding the original transaction amount. Process as a new transaction if you can't resolve the amount discrepancy.

65

Exceeds withdrawal frequency limit

The transaction exceeds the card's allowable limit for a single purchase.

Suggest a lower amount or request another payment method.

66

Card acceptor call acquirer's security department

High-risk transaction flagged for potential fraud.

Do not retry the transaction, and contact your payment processor's fraud department immediately.

67

Hard capture (requires that card be picked up at ATM)

Issuer has blocked the card permanently due to: Reported lost/stolen, Suspected compromise, Fraudulent activity.

Decline the transaction - No retry possible, and notify customer discreetly to contact their bank.

68

Response Received Too Late

The issuer's response to the transaction request was delayed.

Retry the transaction or contact the payment processor.

70

Contact Card Issuer

Applies for Mastercard. The issuer requires direct contact from the cardholder for verification.

Please check the specific provider decline codes.

70

PIN Not Supplied

Applies for Visa. The transaction requires a PIN, but none was provided.

Please check the specific provider decline codes.

75

Allowable number of PIN tries exceeded

The cardholder has exceeded the number of PIN attempts allowed.

Ask the cardholder to contact their bank or use another method.

78

Card Not Activated

The payment card (typically a new or replacement card) has not been activated by the cardholder before use.

Activate the card or use an alternative payment method.

79

Life Cycle

Applies for Mastercard. The transaction is refused due to invalid card data.

Please check the specific provider decline codes.

80

Visa transactions: credit issuer unavailable

The issuing bank cannot be reached.

Try again or use another payment method.

82

CVN Mismatch: Negative CAM, dCVV, iCVV, or CVV results

The CVN code provided is incorrect.

Ask the cardholder to re-enter the CVN or use another method.

82

Invalid card expiration date

The expiration date is incorrect.

Input the correct card expiration date.

83

Fraud Card / Security

Applies for Mastercard. The card is flagged for fraud with no legitimate cardholder.

Please check the specific provider decline codes.

86

Cannot Verify PIN

Applies for VISA. The PIN could not be verified by the issuer.

Please check the specific provider decline codes.

91

Issuer or switch is inoperative

The issuing bank's system is down or unreachable.

Wait and retry the transaction later.

92

Financial institution or intermediate network facility cannot be found for routing

The transaction cannot be routed to the correct issuer.

Contact the payment processor to resolve routing issues.

93

Transaction cannot be completed. Violation of law

The transaction is illegal or violates regulatory requirements.

Do not attempt the transaction; contact the processor.

94

Duplicate Transmission

The transaction appears to be a duplicate of a previous one.

Confirm with the cardholder and avoid reattempting.

95

Reconcile error

The transaction data contains errors (e.g., incorrect fields).

Verify all data and retry or contact the processor.

96

System Malfunction

A technical issue with the issuer or processor caused the decline.

Wait and retry the transaction or contact the processor.

1A

Authentication Required

Visa requires authentication.

Retry with 3D Secure for PSD2 transactions (soft decline).

5C

Transaction not supported/blocked by issuer

Visa issuer refused transaction.

Contact the bank or use another method.

9G

Blocked by cardholder/contact cardholder

Cardholder blocked card.

Use another payment method.

R0

Stop payment order

Visa cardholder stopped a specific recurring payment.

Contact shopper about cancellation.

R1

Revocation of authorization order

Visa cardholder stopped all recurring payments.

Contact shopper about cancellation.

R3

Revocation of all authorization

Visa cardholder canceled all recurring payments.

Contact shopper about cancellation.

Z1

Offline-declined

Visa non-cardholder request (e.g., advice) declined offline.

Please check the specific provider decline codes.

Z3

Unable to go online; offline-declined

Visa non-cardholder request (e.g., advice) declined offline.

Please check the specific provider decline codes.

N3

Cash service not available

Private use or maximum online refund limit reached.

Contact bank to check restrictions; use another payment method or non-refunded transaction.

N4

Cash request exceeds issuer limit

Private use or maximum offline refund limit reached.

Verify limits with bank; try smaller amount or different payment method.

N7

Decline for CVV2 failure

Private use or declined due to customer-selected negative file reason.

Re-enter CVV2; contact bank if flagged; use another payment method.