Visa Decline Codes

The issuing bank is requesting the merchant to contact them before proceeding. This is a generic referral code indicating the issuer wants more information or verification.

Similar to code 01 but indicates a special condition. The issuing bank wants the merchant to contact them for a specific reason related to the account.

The merchant ID or terminal configuration is not recognized or not valid for this transaction type. This typically indicates a setup issue rather than a cardholder problem.

The issuing bank requests that the card be captured. The card is not necessarily fraudulent but the issuer does not want it used. No reattempts are permitted.

The issuing bank has declined the transaction without providing a specific reason. This is one of the most common decline codes and can be temporary or permanent depending on the issuer's internal risk assessment.

A general error occurred at the issuing bank. This is a non-specific error indicating a processing problem.

The issuing bank requests that the card be captured due to suspected fraud on the account. No reattempts are permitted.

The transaction type is not valid or not supported for this card. The issuer will never approve this specific transaction. No reattempts are permitted.

The transaction amount is invalid, too large, too small, or exceeds what the system can process. This is a generic response for amount-related issues.

The card number does not correspond to any existing account. The card may have been mistyped, or the account may no longer exist. Visa categories this as both 1 (never approve) and 3 (revalidate data).

The card number does not route to any known issuing bank. The BIN (first 6-8 digits) is not recognized by the network. No reattempts are permitted.

A temporary processing error occurred. The issuer is requesting the transaction be re-submitted.

The issuer was unable to process the transaction but no specific reason was provided. No standard retry guidance applies.

The issuer cannot find the original transaction record. This typically occurs with follow-up transactions (voids, reversals) where the original cannot be matched.

The issuer's system files are temporarily unavailable for processing. This is a transient error.

The card does not have a credit account associated with it, or the credit function is not available for the type of transaction attempted.

The card has been reported lost by the cardholder. The issuer requests the card be captured. No reattempts are permitted.

The card has been reported stolen. The issuer requests the card be captured. No reattempts are permitted.

The account associated with the card has been closed. No reattempts are permitted.

The cardholder's account does not have enough funds to cover the transaction amount. This is one of the most common decline reasons and is typically temporary.

The card does not have a checking account linked, or the checking account function is not available.

The card does not have a savings account linked, or the savings account function is not available.

The card's expiration date has passed, or the expiration date provided does not match the issuer's records. Updated card information is needed.

The PIN entered by the cardholder does not match the issuer's records. The cardholder should re-enter the correct PIN.

The card is not authorized for this type of transaction. This may be due to card restrictions set by the issuer or cardholder. No reattempts are permitted.

The transaction is not permitted at this terminal or merchant. This may be a configuration issue or a restriction on the terminal.

The issuing bank suspects fraud on this transaction. Despite being flagged as fraud, Visa categorises this as Category 2, permitting reattempts up to 15 times over 30 days.

The transaction amount exceeds the cardholder's approval limit set by the issuer. This is often a daily or per-transaction limit.

The card has been restricted by the issuer, typically due to geographic or usage limitations. Reattempts are permitted as the restriction may be temporary.

A security violation was detected — the source of the transaction is not the correct issuer. This may indicate a routing or authentication problem.

The transaction was declined because it does not meet anti-money laundering (AML) compliance requirements.

The cardholder has exceeded the allowed number of transactions within a given time period.

The transaction requires PIN entry but no PIN was provided. This is typically relevant for card-present and debit transactions.

The cardholder has exceeded the maximum number of PIN entry attempts. The card may be temporarily locked.

The card is blocked, possibly because it has not been activated by the cardholder, or a temporary block is in place for new cards.

The card verification values (CVV, CVV2, CAVV, dCVV, iCVV, or TAVV) failed validation. The security data provided does not match the issuer's records.

The issuer is unable to verify the PIN, possibly because the PIN verification value (PVV) is not available or the issuer cannot perform PIN validation.

The issuing bank's authorization system is unavailable or not responding. This is a temporary connectivity issue.

The transaction cannot be routed to the correct financial institution because the destination cannot be found.

The transaction was declined because completing it would violate applicable laws or regulations.

The transaction was flagged as a duplicate — the same transaction data was already submitted and processed.

A system error occurred at the issuer or within the network. This is typically a temporary condition.

The issuer requires additional cardholder authentication (such as 3D Secure) before the transaction can be approved. The transaction should be resubmitted with proper authentication.

The verification data provided with the transaction (such as AVS or CVV2) failed validation. Updated or corrected payment information is needed.

Cash advance or cash-back service is not available for this card or at this terminal.

The cash advance or cash-back amount requested exceeds the issuer's or approved limit.

The transaction was declined specifically because the CVV2 (card verification value) does not match the issuer's records.

The card authentication (chip, contactless, or online authentication) failed. The transaction could not be verified.

The cardholder has placed a stop payment order on this recurring or installment transaction. No further reattempts are permitted.

The cardholder has revoked the authorization for this specific transaction or merchant. No further reattempts are permitted.

The cardholder has revoked all authorizations for this merchant. No further reattempts are permitted for any transactions.

The terminal was unable to connect online for authorization, and the offline parameters on the card resulted in a decline.