Credit card decline codes: what each code means at the terminal and what to do

A decline code is the card issuer's (or the network's) reason for not approving a sale. The terminal only displays it: it cannot change the answer, so the fix is almost always another payment method, a correctly presented card, or a call to the processor when every card fails.

Before you start

• Get the exact code or wording from the screen or the declined receipt.
• Note whether the card was inserted, tapped or keyed in.
• Check whether other cards approve on the same terminal. One card failing points at the card or its bank. Every card failing points at the terminal, the connection or the merchant account.

Common codes and what to do

Code	What it means	What to do at the terminal
05	Do not honor: the bank declined without giving a specific reason	Ask for another payment method; the cardholder should call their bank. See the 05 guide.
51	Insufficient funds or over the credit limit	Ask for another payment method or a smaller amount. See the 51 guide.
54	Expired card (Visa: or expiry date missing)	Check the card; ask for another card.
14	Invalid card number	If keyed, re-enter carefully or insert the card. Visa does not allow retrying the same number after a 14.
55	Incorrect or missing PIN	Let the customer re-enter the PIN once.
75	Too many PIN tries	Ask for another payment method; the cardholder must contact their bank.
57	Transaction not permitted to cardholder	The card cannot be used for this type of purchase. Ask for another card.
58	Transaction not permitted at this terminal or acquirer	If it happens on many cards, the terminal or account setup is the problem: contact your processor or Allstar.
61 / 65	Over the card's amount or count limit	Ask for another payment method.
62	Restricted card (not valid in this region or country)	Ask for another card.
91	Issuer unavailable or switch inoperative	Wait a few minutes and try once more, or use another card.
96	System malfunction	Try again shortly; if every card fails, call the processor.
03	Invalid merchant	A setup problem, not the card. See the invalid merchant ID guide.
04, 07, 41, 43	Pick up card (41 lost, 43 stolen)	Do not complete the sale. Ask for another payment method. Do not put yourself at risk.
N7	Decline for CVV2 failure	On a keyed sale, re-check the security code or insert the card.

Steps

1. Read the full response on the screen or the declined receipt and write down the code and wording. Expected: you have a code or description to look up in the table above.
2. Treat the decline as final for this attempt. Do not complete the sale anyway, do not force it through offline, and do not split it into smaller amounts. Expected: nothing leaves without an approval. Visa's dispute guide says a sale completed after a decline can be charged back.
3. Find the code in the table and follow its action. Expected: you know whether to ask for another payment method, re-present the card, try later, or call for help.
4. For entry-related codes (54, 55, or 14 on a keyed sale), run the sale once more with the card inserted or tapped and the PIN entered carefully. Expected: the sale approves, or the same code returns and you ask for another payment method.
5. For 91 or 96, wait a few minutes and try once more, then try a card from a different bank. Expected: if the other card approves, the first bank was unavailable. If every card fails, look at the connection or call the processor.
6. If every card returns the same code (often 03, 12 or 58), stop taking cards on that terminal and contact your processor or Allstar support. Expected: the setup or merchant account gets checked instead of declining more customers.
7. For pick-up codes (04, 07, 41, 43), do not complete the sale. Tell the customer the bank has asked for the card to be kept and ask for another payment method. If you feel uncomfortable, hand the card back. Expected: the sale is not completed and staff stay safe.

If that did not work

Visa groups decline codes by whether a retry can ever work. Codes such as 04, 41, 43 and 57 mean the issuer will never approve, so Visa does not allow a retry. Codes such as 51, 61, 65, 91 and 96 mean "not right now". Retrying the same card over and over can add network fees, so ask for another payment method instead.

If one terminal declines every card, or shows codes not on this page, contact Allstar support with the model, serial number, payment application, processor and the exact message on screen. Do not change host or merchant settings yourself.

Sources

• Worldpay Merchant Batch Authorization and Deposit File Reference Guide, Appendix D: Network Response Codes (V2.10, February 2024)
• Worldpay Developer: Raw response codes
• Mastercard Developers: Network Response Codes
• Adyen Docs: Raw responses
• Adyen Docs: Mapping to Visa system integrity fee categories
• Visa Dispute Management Guide for Merchants (October 2026)
• Visa Payment Acceptance Best Practices for U.S. Retail Petroleum Merchants (December 2018)
• Visa: Updates to Rules for Declined Transaction Resubmission and Use of Authorization Response Codes (AI10325, 3 September 2020)