1 Support/Bank Error/Decline
Table of Contents
Overview
Each card brand (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, etc) has a limited list of decline reasons that a bank can use to decline a card. Depending on the processor the merchant is set up on the most commonly used processor response to the gateway is a 'Decline'.
Decline messages are chosen by the bank, and they tend to choose something "close" rather than something "right". For instance, "Pick up card" is a historical error message from when retail stores were expected to keep a card when instructed. Now they are mostly used as a warning that the card has been reported for Fraud (F), Stolen (S), or Lost (L). The customer using the card may not be the cardholder.
When experiencing any of the errors listed below the cardholder's bank is declining the charge and sending the error. Therefore, the merchant will have to reach out to their customer and the customer will reach out to their card issuing bank to know why the transaction was declined and how to correct the issue.
Additional Information
200 |
The transaction was declined by the processor. |
The customer's bank is unwilling to accept the transaction. The reasons for this response can vary – the customer will need to contact their bank for more details. |
201 |
Do not honor. |
The customer's bank is unwilling to accept the transaction. The customer will need to contact their bank for more details regarding this decline. |
202 |
Insufficient funds. |
The account did not have sufficient funds to cover the transaction amount at the time of the transaction. |
203 |
Over limit. |
The attempted transaction exceeds the withdrawal limit of the account. The customer will need to contact their bank to change the account limits or use a different payment method. |
204 |
Transaction not allowed. |
The customer's bank is declining the transaction for unspecified reasons, possibly due to an issue with the card itself. They will need to contact their bank or use a different payment method. |
220 |
Incorrect payment information. |
|
221 |
No such card issuer. |
This decline code could indicate that the submitted card number does not correlate to an existing card-issuing bank or that there is a connectivity error with the issuer. The customer will need to contact their bank for more information. |
222 |
No card number on file with issuer. |
The submitted card number is not on file with the card-issuing bank. The customer will need to contact their bank. |
223 |
Expired card. |
The card is expired. The customer will need to use a different payment method. |
224 |
Invalid expiration date. |
The customer entered an invalid payment method or made a typo in their card expiration date. Have the customer correct their payment information and attempt the transaction again – if the decline persists, they will need to contact their bank. |
225 |
Invalid card security code. |
The customer entered in an invalid security code or made a typo in their card information. Have the customer attempt the transaction again – if the decline persists, the customer will need to contact their bank. |
226 |
Invalid PIN. |
Can mean Invalid PIN or missing PIN. Some cards can be set to always require a PIN. |
240 |
Call issuer for further information. |
|
250 |
Pick up card. |
The customer’s card has been reported as lost or stolen by the cardholder and the card-issuing bank has requested that merchants keep the card and call the number on the back to report it. As an online merchant, you don’t have the physical card and can't complete this request – obtain a different payment method from the customer. |
251 |
Lost card. |
The card used has likely been reported as lost. The customer will need to contact their bank for more information. |
252 |
Stolen card. |
The card used has likely been reported as stolen. The customer will need to contact their bank for more information. |
253 |
Fraudulent card. |
The customer’s bank suspects fraud – they will need to contact their bank for more information. |
260 |
Declined with further instructions available. (See response text) |
|
261 |
Declined-Stop all recurring payments. |
|
262 |
Declined-Stop this recurring program. |
|
263 |
Declined-Update cardholder data available. |
The submitted card has expired or been reported lost and a new card has been issued. Reach out to your customer to obtain updated card information. |
264 |
Declined-Retry in a few days. |
204 Issuer Declined MCC MCC in the financial industry typically stands for Merchant Category Code. So it's likely related but we are not sure how.