You’re ringing up a customer, everything is business as usual, and suddenly your credit card terminal shows an unexpected message—your transaction has been declined. You’ve just received a credit card decline code.
But what does it mean, and what can you do next?
Credit card decline codes are messages sent to merchants when a transaction cannot be completed. Each code corresponds to a specific reason—such as insufficient funds, a lost or stolen card, or a triggered fraud alert.
Decline codes can originate from several points in the payment process:
Some codes are more likely to come from specific sources. For example, Code 51 (insufficient funds) typically comes from the issuing bank.
Bank-originated codes are often harder—sometimes impossible—to resolve at the point of sale.
A decline can occur for many technical or financial reasons. Common causes include:
Below is a simplified reference list of common decline codes and their meanings:
| Code | Message | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 00 | No reason given | Transaction failed for unclear or connection-related reasons. |
| 01 | Refer to issuer | Issuer blocked the transaction. |
| 02 | Refer to issuer (special condition) | Variation of Code 01 with unspecified conditions. |
| 04 | Pick up card (non-fraud) | Card blocked; issuer requests retrieval (lost or expired). |
| 05 | Do not honor | Issuer declined and requests merchant not honor the card. |
| 06 | Error | Issuer rejects transaction; similar to Code 05. |
| 07 | Pick up card (fraud) | Card flagged for fraud; issuer requests seizure. |
| 12 | Invalid transaction | User error; invalid transaction entry. |
| 13 | Invalid amount | Non-numeric or invalid characters entered. |
| 14 | Invalid card number | No account found for entered card number. |
| 15 | No such issuer | Card number does not match any issuer network. |
| 19 | Re-enter | Unknown error; try again. |
| 22 | Suspected malfunction | Terminal cannot reach issuing bank. |
| 25 | POS condition code invalid value | Incorrect billing or customer information. |
| 28 | File temporarily unavailable | Temporary issue; retry may succeed. |
| 30 | Format error | Possible setup issue with merchant account. |
| 31 | Bank not supported by switch | Card cannot be used for this transaction type. |
| 34 | Suspected fraud, retain card | Fraud suspected; issuer requests retrieval. |
| 37 | Contact acquirer security department | Decline + retain request; cardholder must contact bank. |
| 41 | Lost card | Cardholder reported card lost; retrieval requested. |
| 42 | No universal accounts | Declined due to card account type problem. |
| 43 | Stolen card | Card reported stolen; retrieval requested. |
| 49 | Card declined | Card not valid for this transaction. |
| 51 | Insufficient funds | Customer lacks funds or credit. |
| 54 | Expired card | Card no longer valid due to expiration. |
| 56 | No card record | No account found for card number. |
| 57 | Transaction not permitted | Card not allowed for this transaction type. |
| 58 | Transaction not permitted (terminal) | Merchant terminal not configured for this transaction. |
| 59 | Suspected fraud | Issuer suspects fraud (no retrieval request). |
| 61 | Exceeds withdrawal limit | Customer exceeds allowed limits. |
| 62 | Invalid service code | Card violates restrictions (type, region, etc.). |
| 63 | Security violation | Issue with CVV/CID security code. |
| 65 | Activity limit exceeded | High activity or exceeded credit limit. |
| 67 | Capture card | Card may be fake; issuer requests capture. |
| 78 | Invalid account | No account found for this card. |
| 85 | Issuer system unavailable | Communication issue with issuer. |
| 91 | Issuer or switch unavailable | Authorization failed due to network issue. |
| 92 | Unable to route transaction | Card info not found; often during gateway testing. |
| 93 | Violation, cannot complete | Issuer does not allow the transaction. |
| 96 | System error | Temporary system malfunction. |
| 97 | Invalid CVV | Entered CVV does not match card/account. |
| R0 | Requested stop of recurring payment | Customer requested recurring billing to stop. |
While not every existing code is listed, these are some of the most common and useful to recognize.
Decline codes are a normal part of accepting credit card payments and usually aren’t serious. In many cases, the issue can be resolved by:
Most declines are temporary and do not indicate major problems for your business.
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