When processing credit card transactions, some transactions will come back with an error message. Below are some common error messages you'll see and what they mean. The first group of decline codes is universal. It does not matter which credit card processor you use, these codes are the same for all processors.

Decline code 00 or 000005: Do Not Honor

The issuing bank is declining to authorize the card. The cause can sometimes be insufficient funds, although that is usually a decline 000051. Please have your customer contact their bank for a more detailed explanation of the decline. We recommend not attempting this transaction again for 24 hours after the initial decline.

Decline codes 000001, 000004, 000007, 000041, or 000043: Hold Call or Hold Card

These decline codes indicate that the card has been lost, stolen, or otherwise flagged for pickup by the issuing bank. If you have the physical card in your possession, you should not return the card to the customer. You should retain the card and call the phone number on the back of the card to report the decline.
If you do not have the card, it is possible to look up the issuing bank's phone number by using a BIN search engine online and entering the first six digits of the card number. These digits comprise the BIN and are used to identify the bank that issued a particular card. You can find a number of commonly used BIN search engines by performing a Google search for 'bin lookup.'

Decline code 000014: Invalid Card Number

If the card number was manually key entered incorrectly, re-enter the card number and try the transaction again.
If you are swiping a transaction, the credit card magnetic strip may be damaged, the card reader may need to be cleaned or simply replaced.

Decline code 000015: No Such Issuer

The card number entered is invalid.

Decline code 000051: Insufficient Funds

Not enough money on the card to authorize the transaction.

Decline code 000054: Expired Card

Card expired or canceled by issuing bank.

Decline code 000057: Service Not Allowed - Transaction Not Permitted

The cardholder's issuing bank has declined the authorization due to a restriction on the credit card or account. This restriction may involve the type of businesses where the card can be used, or the type of transaction itself (in-store, online, etc.); however, for a definite and precise explanation of the decline, the cardholder will need to contact their bank directly.

Decline code 000061: Exceeds Withdrawal Limit

Not enough money on the card to authorize the transaction.

Decline code 00062: Invalid Service Code, Restricted

Every business has a Service Industry Code, or SIC. This is a four-digit number that denotes the merchant's industry type. For example, 5812 designates "Eating Places"; 8111 designates "Legal Services".

Some cards may have restrictions in place that limit the types of business at which they can be used -- for instance, an FSA card may only function at a pharmacy, or an EBT card might only be authorized at a grocery store. A decline 000062 indicates that the customer's card has a restriction of this type in place, which is preventing them from using that card at your type of business. Your customer will need to contact their bank for a further explanation and/or provide you with an alternate form of payment.

Decline code 000065: Activity Limit Exceeded

Issuing bank has restricted the activity limit on the credit card.

Decline code 000091: No Reply

Unable to reach card holder's issuing bank for authorization. 

Decline code 0000R1: Stop Recurring

The cardholder’s issuing bank has declined the authorization because the customer has requested a stop of all recurring payments from a specific merchant.

(Error code 15: connection_error): Error connecting to the network

This message appears when we couldn't reach the payment network to complete your transaction. This is usually a temporary issue, so please try processing the payment again in a few moments.

Authorize.net

Below are some known error messages specific to Authorize.net.

Error: E00003: An error occurred while parsing the XML request

This error typically appears when you are trying to update an expiration date or billing address within an existing saved payment method. To resolve this error, enter the entire credit card number in card number field and then make your changes to the other fields in the form.

Error: E00039 A duplicate customer payment profile already exists error

To resolve this error, login to Authorize.net, select Tools and Customer Information Manager. Look up tenant name (select Description from dropdown), click on Profile ID and click Delete button.

Transfirst

Below are some known error messages specific to Transfirst.

Error 10000 "Undefined error. Contact the vendor." Transfirst processing system is temporarily down.

Error 50011 Validation Failure error is due to an incorrect character in one of the fields. If it looks like the information is being entered correctly, make sure that there is no space at end of the account number as that could potentially be triggering this message.

Error 51308 Track data or Primary Account Number (PAN) failed format validation.

Error 51421 Invalid card number. Primary Account Number (PAN) entered is incorrect. Re-enter the credit card number.

Sage Merchant Solutions/Paya

Below are some known error messages specific to Sage/Paya.

Error 920000 Item not found. Please contact Technical Support for assistance, 877-470-4001

or

Error 900022 Reference value is in an invalid format or was left blank (Required for Force or Void by Reference)

The credit card payment you are trying to refund is too old or has been archived. Please check the Payment Methods tab to determine if the payment method is still active. If it is no longer active, you will need to process the refund as a check or cash. If it is active, then please call Sage Merchant Solutions (aka Paya) at 877-470-4001 to have them temporarily release the flag that is preventing the refund from being processed. Refunds older than ~5 months require the flag to be removed by before they can be successfully processed in storEDGE.

For a list of all decline codes, please visit the Paya support website.

Troubleshooting refunds

Below are some common reasons errors may occur when attempting to refund a payment.

1. Multiple transactions: Some card guidelines require that merchants only issue one refund of the same amount in a 24-hour period. If you've recently issued a similar refund, try again after 24 hours.
2. Too soon: Sometimes the original transaction must be settled with the processor before you can issue a refund. Wait a full 48 hours and try again.
3. Too long: Credit card processors require that refunds are issued within a certain time period. This time varies by processor, but is typically between 5-18 months from when the original purchase was made. If you would still like to issue a refund after this time period, you’ll need to use an alternative method such as cash or check.
4. Different card: storEDGE requires that a refund be made to the same card that was used for the purchase.
5. New merchant account: If you’ve obtained a new merchant account, you won’t be able to process a refund on a transaction that was made using the old account. You’ll need to use an alternative refund method such as cash or check.