Authorize.Net · Decline codes
What does Authorize.Net 19 “An error occurred during processing. Please try again” mean?
Checked
Authorize.Net response reason code 19, "An error occurred during processing. Please try again", is a connection issue between Authorize.Net and the card processor: Authorize.Net did not receive a response to the request it sent. Authorize.Net says these are usually fixed quickly, and warns that repeated attempts during the outage may create multiple authorizations on the card.
- Type
- Processing error (temporary)
- Who declined
- The link between Authorize.Net and the processor
- Retry
- Yes, after a short wait. Check first that no authorization was created.
- Shopper action
- Wait a few minutes and try again.
- Merchant action
- Check Authorize.Net status; avoid rapid repeated attempts.
What PlatformDTC does
If Authorize.Net code 19 hits a subscription renewal, PlatformDTC treats it as a gateway fault, not a decline: the renewal is deferred and tried again, no dunning step is used and the customer gets no "payment failed" email.
Why it happens
The processor did not answer in time, from an outage or internet congestion. The card itself was not judged.
What the shopper can do
Wait a few minutes, then try once more. Check your bank app for a pending charge before paying again.
What the store can do
Avoid retry loops while the problem lasts, because each attempt may place an authorization on the card. Authorize.Net suggests running its test Visa card in the Virtual Terminal: a normal decline instead of the error means connectivity is back.
For developers
errors[0].errorCode "19". Codes 20–23, 25 and 26 carry the same message; treat the group as transient, retry with backoff and idempotency on your side.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Authorize.Net code 19 a declined card?
- No. Authorize.Net did not receive an answer from the processor; the card was not judged.
- Can retrying Authorize.Net code 19 charge the shopper twice?
- Authorize.Net warns that repeated attempts during the outage may create multiple authorizations, so check before retrying.
Sources
- Authorize.Net Response Code Tool (response reason codes) — Authorize.Net
- Authorize.Net response codes (JSON list behind the Response Code Tool) — Authorize.Net
Related
- 20 — Authorize.Net lost contact with the card processor before getting a response.
- 57 — The processor could not interpret data in the request, such as a bad CVV length or ZIP format.
- 35 — Your merchant account was set up incorrectly at the processor.
- 63 — Often your business details (such as country) are wrong for a TSYS processor account.
- 120 — The original transaction timed out and the automatic void of it also failed.
- 16 — The transaction ID you referenced (for a refund or void) is not on this Authorize.Net account.