What Do Refusal Responses Mean? – iClassPro Support

These responses will only be encountered by customers who have been migrated to iClassPro's new payments platform.

IN BRIEF
Refusal responses are numerical codes and messages that explain why a payment transaction was declined. These can represent soft declines (temporary issues that may succeed if retried) or hard declines (permanent issues that should not be retried).

Overview
Accessing the Feature
Common Refusal Responses and Meanings
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Related Articles

Overview

When a payment transaction fails, the system returns a Refusal Code and message that indicate the reason.
Understanding these codes helps determine whether the issue can be resolved (for example, by retrying) or whether a different action is required.

Refusal codes are grouped into two main types:

Soft Declines — Temporary issues that may succeed if retried.
Hard Declines — Permanent failures that should not be retried.

Accessing the Feature

Refusal responses appear automatically when a payment attempt fails. They are also recorded in the audit log and Payment Process results for review.

Common Refusal Responses and Meanings

Codes 0–4

0 - (none): Returned with “Authorised.” Ignore this code — the transaction succeeded.
2 - Refused: The transaction was refused.
3 - Referral: The transaction requires manual referral or authorization.
4 - Acquirer Error: The acquirer experienced an error processing the transaction.

Codes 5–16

5 - Blocked Card: The card is blocked.
6 - Expired Card: The card has expired.
7 - Invalid Amount: The amount entered was invalid.
8 - Invalid Card Number: The card number was incorrect.
9 - Issuer Unavailable: The bank could not be reached.
10 - Not Supported: The bank does not support this transaction type.
11 - 3D Not Authenticated: 3D Secure authentication failed or was not completed.
12 - Not Enough Balance: Insufficient funds.
14 - Acquirer Fraud: Possible fraud detected.
15 - Cancelled: The transaction was cancelled.
16 - Shopper Cancelled: The shopper cancelled before completing the payment.

Codes 17–24

17 - Invalid PIN: The entered PIN was invalid.
18 - PIN Tries Exceeded: Too many invalid PIN attempts.
19 - PIN Validation Not Possible: PIN validation could not be performed.
20 - FRAUD: Fraud score ≥100 during pre-authorization; transaction refused.
21 - Not Submitted: Transaction not correctly submitted.
22 - FRAUD-CANCELLED: Fraud score ≥100 after post-authorization; transaction refused.
23 - Transaction Not Permitted: Bank declined due to permission issue (e.g., not allowed for cardholder, merchant, or terminal).
24 - CVC Declined: Invalid CVC (security code).

Codes 25–32

25 - Restricted Card: Card is restricted or invalid in the country used.
26 - Revocation of Auth: Shopper requested to stop a subscription or authorization.
27 - Declined Non-Generic: Decline reason could not be specifically mapped.
28 - Withdrawal Amount Exceeded: Amount exceeds card limit.
29 - Withdrawal Count Exceeded: Too many withdrawals attempted.
31 - Issuer Suspected Fraud: Issuer flagged transaction as fraud.
32 - AVS Declined: Address verification failed.

Codes 33–40

33 - Card Requires Online PIN: Issuer requires online PIN entry.
34 - No Checking Account Available: Checking account required for transaction.
35 - No Savings Account Available: Savings account required for transaction.
36 - Mobile PIN Required: Mobile PIN required.
37 - Contactless Fallback: Shopper abandoned contactless transaction after being prompted for alternate entry (PIN/swipe).
38 - Authentication Required: Issuer requires 3D Secure authentication.
39 - RReq Not Received from DS: Issuer or scheme failed to send response.
40 - Current AID in Penalty Box: Payment network unavailable — retry with a different payment method.

Codes 41–46

41 - CVM Required / Restart Payment: Signature or PIN required; retry transaction.
42 - 3DS Authentication Error: Authentication failed due to network or issuer issue; retry or use another method.
46 - Transaction Blocked to Prevent Excessive Retry Fees: Blocked to prevent penalty fees for repeated attempts.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Should I retry a transaction that was declined?
- Retry only for soft declines (temporary issues such as issuer unavailable or authentication error). Hard declines should not be retried.
What should I do if I receive a fraud-related refusal code (e.g., 20, 22, or 31)?
- These are security-related and require investigation. Contact your payment processor or acquiring bank before retrying.
How do I find out if the decline was due to insufficient funds or card restrictions?
- Review the refusal code and description in the audit log or Payment Process results. Code 12 indicates insufficient funds, while codes 5 or 25 indicate card restrictions.