V
Visa Network Response CodesVisa 96
System Malfunction
Soft Decline
Temporary failures that may succeed on retry
Retryable
This decline may succeed on retry
Description
A system error occurred at the issuer or within the network. This is typically a temporary condition.
Recommended Action
Retry after a short delay. The system should recover.
Common Causes
- Issuer system error
- Network processing error
- Temporary system outage
Recovery Tips
- Retry after a few minutes
- If persistent, contact your payment processor
- Check for known network or issuer outages
Quick Reference
Code
96
Category
Soft Decline
Retryable
Yes
Source
Visa
Recoverability verdict
This is a soft decline. This revenue is often recoverable.
Payments failing with code 96 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.