Payment decline reasons
When a card payment is declined, the bank returns a reason code. Search the code or the message you saw to find out what it means, why it happens, and what to do next.
41 reasons
- 01Refer to Card IssuerHardThe issuer wants the cardholder to contact them before the transaction can be approved.
- 03Invalid MerchantHardThe merchant account or identifier is not recognized or not valid for this transaction.
- 04Pick Up CardHardThe issuer has flagged the card to be retained and instructs that it should not be honored, often because it may be lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised.
- 05Do Not HonorHardA generic refusal from the card issuer that declines the transaction without giving a specific reason. It is one of the most common decline responses.
- 12Invalid TransactionHardThe issuer considers the transaction invalid and will not process it.
- 13Invalid AmountSoftThe transaction amount is invalid or not allowed, for example it is malformed or exceeds a permitted limit.
- 14Invalid Card NumberSoftThe card number submitted is incorrect or does not correspond to a valid account.
- 15No Such IssuerSoftThe card number does not map to a valid issuer, so the transaction cannot be routed.
- 19Re-enter TransactionSoftThe issuer could not process the transaction and requests that it be submitted again.
- 30Format ErrorHardThe transaction request was malformed and could not be processed by the issuer.
- 39No Credit AccountHardThe card is not linked to a valid credit account, so a credit transaction cannot be completed.
- 41Lost CardHardThe card has been reported lost by the cardholder and the issuer has blocked it from further use.
- 43Stolen CardHardThe card has been reported stolen and the issuer has blocked it from further use.
- 46Closed AccountHardThe account associated with the card has been closed and can no longer be used.
- 51Insufficient FundsSoftThe card or account does not have enough available balance or credit to cover the transaction amount.
- 52No Checking AccountHardThe card is not linked to a checking account required for this transaction.
- 53No Savings AccountHardThe card is not linked to a savings account required for this transaction.
- 54Expired CardHardThe card has passed its expiration date and can no longer be used, or the expiry date submitted does not match the card on file.
- 55Incorrect PINSoftThe PIN entered does not match the PIN on record for the card (applies to card-present or PIN-based transactions).
- 57Transaction Not Permitted to CardholderHardThe issuer does not allow this type of transaction on this cardholder's account.
- 58Transaction Not Permitted on TerminalHardThe issuer does not permit this transaction type from the acquiring terminal or channel used.
- 59Suspected FraudHardThe issuer or acquirer suspects the transaction is fraudulent and has declined it.
- 61Exceeds Withdrawal Amount LimitSoftThe transaction amount is higher than the maximum amount the issuer allows for this card over a given period.
- 62Restricted CardHardThe card is restricted by the issuer, for example blocked for certain regions, merchants, or usage, and cannot be used for this transaction.
- 63Security ViolationHardThe transaction was declined because of a security violation, and the card may be restricted.
- 65Exceeds Withdrawal Frequency LimitSoftThe number of transactions on the card has exceeded the frequency limit the issuer allows over a given period.
- 75PIN Tries ExceededHardThe number of allowed PIN attempts has been exceeded and the card is blocked from further PIN use.
- 76Invalid AccountHardThe card or the account it is linked to is invalid, expired, cancelled, or does not exist.
- 78Card Not ActivatedSoftThe card is new and has not been properly activated or unblocked by the cardholder.
- 82Incorrect CVCSoftThe card security code (CVC/CVV2) provided does not match the code on record for the card.
- 91Issuer or Switch InoperativeSoftThe issuing bank or the network switch could not be reached to authorize the transaction.
- 94Duplicate TransactionHardAn identical transaction was already submitted, so this one was rejected as a duplicate.
- 96System MalfunctionSoftA system error or malfunction prevented the transaction from being processed.
- authentication_requiredAuthentication RequiredSoftThe transaction requires 3D Secure (3DS/SCA) authentication that was not completed.
- blocked_cardBlocked CardHardThe card used for the transaction is blocked and therefore cannot be used.
- card_not_supportedCard Not SupportedHardThe card does not support this type of purchase or transaction.
- currency_not_supportedCurrency Not SupportedHardThe card does not support the currency of the transaction.
- generic_declineGeneric DeclineHardThe transaction was declined without a specific reason being returned or exposed by the issuer or processor.
- incorrect_zipAddress Verification FailedSoftThe billing address or postal code entered does not match what the issuer has on file (AVS mismatch).
- R0Stop Payment OrderHardThe issuer has a stop-payment instruction on this transaction, or the shopper cancelled the payment.
- R1Revocation of AuthorizationHardThe cardholder has revoked permission for the merchant to charge the card, typically stopping a recurring or subscription payment.