Advertiser Disclosure

💳 Save money on credit card processing with one of our top 5 picks for 2024

Credit Card Decline & Error Codes

Credit card decline codes are a common occurance for merchants. Understanding common decline codes can help you determine why the transaction didn't go through and how to deal with it.

    Chris Motola
  • Last updated onUpdated

  • Shannon Vissers
  • REVIEWED BY

    Shannon Vissers

    Lead Staff Writer

Our content reflects the editorial opinions of our experts. While our site makes money through referral partnerships, we only partner with companies that meet our standards for quality, as outlined in our independent rating and scoring system.
Key Takeaways
  1. Credit card decline codes can originate from various points in the transaction cycle, including the payment processor, payment gateway, or issuing bank.
  2. Transactions may be declined for reasons like insufficient funds, expired cards, fraud alerts, or incorrect card information.
  3. Solutions depend on the code's source; retrying the transaction, contacting the issuing bank, or checking the payment system setup are common steps.
Chris Motola

Chris Motola

Expert Contributor at Merchant Maverick
Chris has been writing about small business topics since 2003. He has been featured in Fox Business, ABC News, Yahoo Finance, GoBankingRates, Newsweek, BizJournals, and other publications. He has a Bachelor’s of Arts in English Writing Arts from SUNY Oswego, and a Masters of Science in Interactive Media from the University of Central Florida. He currently resides in the Hudson Valley region of New York.
Chris Motola
View Chris Motola's professional experience on LinkedIn.
Chris Motola

Latest posts by Chris Motola (see all)