A
American Express Network Decline CodesAmex 977
Invalid Payment Plan
Hard Decline
Permanent failures that should not be retried
Do Not Retry
Retry will not succeed
Description
The card issuer has declined the recurring transaction due to an invalid payment frequency or amount.
Recommended Action
Verify the recurring transaction details (frequency, amount) and correct any discrepancies.
Common Causes
- Recurring payment frequency does not match the agreement
- Payment amount differs from the authorized recurring amount
- Subscription plan details are invalid
Recovery Tips
- Review and correct the recurring payment configuration
- Ensure the billing frequency and amount match what was authorized
Quick Reference
Code
977
Category
Hard Decline
Retryable
No
Source
Amex
Recoverability verdict
Retrying 977 will not work
This is a hard decline. Retrying code 977 will not recover the payment. But most merchants seeing this code also have soft declines they are not recovering. Check what your retry strategy is leaving behind.
Related Decline Codes
101Non-Retryable
Expired Card / Invalid Expiration Date
The card has expired or the expiration date provided is invalid.
109Non-Retryable
Invalid Merchant
The American Express network does not recognise the merchant with the submitted transaction details. This needs to be investigated by the acquirer or payment service provider.
110Non-Retryable
Invalid Amount
The card issuer has declined the transaction due to a format or amount field error.
111Non-Retryable
Invalid Account
The card issuer is unable to find the card or account number. The account may be closed or the number may be incorrect.