- The codes below apply to credit cards only.
- The card-issuing bank makes declines. Rarely does the payment processor send back declines.
- The PropertyBoss software does not approve or decline payments.
- If your payer does not believe their card should have declined or you are unsure what the decline means, advise the payee to call the 1-800 number on the back of the card for more information.
| Code/Number | Description | Definition | Suggested Action |
| 01 | Refer to issuer | The cardholder’s issuing bank (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, etc) blocks the transaction. | Ask for a different card. If the customer doesn’t have one, have them call their credit card company to investigate and resolve the issue. There’s usually a toll-free number somewhere on the card. |
| 02 | Refer to issuer (special condition) | This is similar to "01 Refer to issuer" in that the cardholder’s issuing bank blocks the transaction from going through. | Ask for a different payment method or have them call their card issuer. |
| 04 | Hold-call or Pick up card | This code is when the issuing bank blocks the transaction, typically because of a suspected issue. Issues could include a lost/misplaced card, expiration date, or fraud, among other red flags. | This code indicates that the merchant must seize the credit card if the customer is paying in person. There’s typically a toll-free number somewhere on the card that you can call to get directions on the next steps. |
| 05 | Do not honor | Code 05 indicates that the issuing bank has blocked the transaction—telling you to “not honor” the card as a form of payment. | Ensure you have updated customer information, as sometimes it’s a case of a mistaken billing address. If the billing information isn’t the culprit, ask for an alternative form of payment or have the customer call the toll-free number. |
| 06 | Other error | This code pertains to an unidentified error with the issuing bank. | Since there’s no specific reason for the error code, it’s best to try again and see if the issue resolves itself. If not, ask the customer for an alternative payment method. |
| 07 | Hold-call or Pick up card (special condition) | The cardholder’s issuing bank is stopping the transaction because of suspected fraud. | This code indicates that the merchant must seize the credit card if the customer is paying in person. There’s typically a toll-free number somewhere on the card that you can call to get directions on the next steps. It is best to only accept certified funds from this customer. |
| 10 | Partial approval | This error code occurs when the issuing bank accepts a portion of the transaction. This usually occurs when the transaction amount exceeds the card’s credit limit or the funds in the customer’s bank account don’t cover the rest of the sale. | Notify the customer and have them present another form of payment that can supplement or replace the declined card. |
| 12 | Invalid transaction | A 12 credit card decline code indicates that the transaction is invalid. You might have entered information or dollar amounts incorrectly or even pressed the wrong button. | Check and/or reenter all the billing and purchase information. If there are no issues, start from the beginning. |
| 13 | Invalid amount | The error occurs when the dollar amount is invalid. It might be negative for a purchase, or positive for a refund. Or you could have accidentally included a letter or symbol. | Fix the dollar amount and try again. |
| 14 | Invalid card number | Error 14 indicates the credit card number was entered incorrectly. | Carefully reenter the credit card number. |
| 15 | No such issuer | Code 15 alerts the merchant that the entered credit card number doesn’t start with an appropriate number:
| Check the first number entered in the credit card information and adjust as needed. |
| 19 | Re-enter | This is an unknown error reason. The payment processor is telling you it doesn’t know what happened and why it didn’t work. | Attempt the transaction again. If it still doesn’t work, have the customer call the issuing bank. |
| 25 | POS condition code invalid value | 25 is typically similar to 14 or 15 — there's something wrong with the credit card and billing information. | Carefully reenter the information or retry the transaction. |
| 28 | File is temporarily unavailable | There was a blip during the authorization process, which is the initial part of the transaction. | These errors are typically temporary, so waiting a ew minutes and trying the transaction again should work. If it doesn’t, contact the issuing bank or the payment processor. |
| 41 | Hold call, Pick up card (fraud account) | The issuing bank is blocking the transaction because the cardholder has reported it as lost or stolen. | This is a suspected case of fraud. This code indicates that the merchant must seize the credit card if the customer is paying in person. There’s typically a toll-free number somewhere on the card that you can call to get directions on the next steps. It is best to only accept certified funds from this customer. |
| 43 | Stolen/lost card, Pick up card (fraud account) | This indicates a suspected case of fraud because the cardholder has reported the card as missing or stolen. | Report the incident to the issuing bank and consider requesting certified funds from the customer. This code indicates that the merchant must seize the credit card if the customer is paying in person. There’s typically a toll-free number somewhere on the card that you can call to get directions on the next steps. |
| 51 | Insufficient funds | Error 51 occurs when the cardholder has reached or exceeded their credit limit amount. In some cases, your purchase would be what exceeds the limit. For example, if they’ve spent $4,995 with a $5,000 limit, they won’t be able to make a $5.01 purchase from your business as a result of insufficient funds. | Request an alternative form of payment. The customer can call their credit card company to try and sort it out or increase their limit. |
| 54 | Expired card | This code indicates the expiration date entered has already passed. The card is expired and no longer valid for issuing payment. | Make sure you entered the expiration date correctly. If the data is correct, request an alternative form of payment |
| 57 | Transaction not permitted – card | Code 57 means the credit card isn’t properly configured for the transaction you’re trying to process. | Provide transaction details to your customer and have them call the bank to request permission for the transaction. |
| 58 | Transaction not permitted – terminal REQUIRES PAYMENT TERMINAL | These errors are with your credit card reader, indicating that it’s not configured to process this transaction. | Reach out to your payment provider or support team for further assistance |
| 61 | Exceeds issuer withdrawal limit | The cardholder may have overspent or withdrawn too many funds from their associated account. | Request an alternative form of payment. The customer can call their credit card company to try and sort it out or increase their limit. |
| 62 | Invalid service code, restricted | The customer is using a credit card you do not accept (ex: American Express; Discover) Another cause for code 62 is if a customer is attempting to make a payment with a card that isn’t compatible with online payments. | Ask for a different form of payment. |
| 63 | Card is restricted or security violation REQUIRES PAYMENT TERMINAL | If your credit card reader has a hard time reading the three- or four-digit CVV or CID (card identification) code, you’ll see this SEC violation credit card decline code. | Try the transaction again without including the code. If you do this, inform your customer because their bank may flag the transaction as fraudulent. |
| 65 | Activity limit exceeded or insufficient funds | The error means the customer might have exceeded their credit limit or hit their maximum number of transactions for a specific period of time. | Ask for an alternative form of payment or recommend the customer reach out to their credit card company. |
| 78 | No account, no such account exists, invalid account, or nonexistent account | This code indicates the bank does not recognize the account. There could be a number of reasons why - it's no longer active, the customer name does not match the approved account holder(s) name, the bank no longer exists, etc | Ask for an alternative form of payment or recommend the customer reach out to their credit card company |
| 85 or 00 | Issuer system unavailable or no reason to decline | This code indicates a temporary communication error. | Try the transaction again. If you repeatedly have trouble, reach out to the payment processor. |
| 91 | Issuer or switch is unavailable | This is a communication error concerning the authorization communication. | Try submitting the transaction again. |
| 92 | Unable to route transaction REQUIRES PAYMENT TERMINAL | When you get this error, it means your payment terminal is unable to interface with the payment processor. | Try submitting the transaction again or ask for a different form of payment. |
| 93 | Violation, cannot complete | This indicates an issue with your customer’s credit card account. The issuing bank blocks these transactions. | Ask for a different payment method or recommend they contact their bank. |
| 96 | System malfunction/system error | This code indicates a temporary technology/system error. | Try the transaction again. If you repeatedly have trouble, reach out to the payment processor. |
| 97 | Invalid CVV | The CVV is wrong. The CVV is the Card Verification Value and is typically three digits and found on the back of the card that acts as an extra security and verification layer to help prevent fraud. | Double-check you’ve entered the CVV correctly. Some cards might have multiple three- and four-digit codes, making it hard to decipher which one to use. |
| R0 or R1 | Specifically sent to subscription businesses or companies that charge recurring payments, this is a response code that you get when a payer has indicated to the card issuer not to allow recurring payments from your business. | Contact your payer to find out why they’ve decided to block your charges. It’s important that you stop charging the card to avoid chargebacks. |