V
Visa Network Response CodesVisa 1A
Additional Customer Authentication Required
Soft Decline
Temporary failures that may succeed on retry
Retryable
This decline may succeed on retry
Description
The issuer requires additional cardholder authentication (such as 3D Secure) before the transaction can be approved. The transaction should be resubmitted with proper authentication.
Recommended Action
Resubmit the transaction with 3D Secure (Visa Secure) authentication. Prompt the cardholder to complete the authentication challenge.
Common Causes
- 3D Secure authentication required but not provided
- Issuer mandates Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)
- Transaction flagged as requiring step-up authentication
Recovery Tips
- Implement 3D Secure and resubmit with authentication data
- Ensure your integration supports Visa Secure / EMV 3DS
- Prompt the cardholder to complete the authentication flow
Quick Reference
Code
1A
Category
Soft Decline
Retryable
Yes
Source
Visa
Recoverability verdict
This is a soft decline. This revenue is often recoverable.
Payments failing with code 1A are often recoverable with the right retry timing and routing. Slicker recovers up to 70% of soft declines with smart retries.
Related Decline Codes
01Retryable
Refer to Card Issuer
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.
02Retryable
Refer to Card Issuer (Special Condition)
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.
03Retryable
Invalid Merchant
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.
05Retryable
Do Not Honor
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.