Authorize.Net · Decline codes
What does Authorize.Net 253 “Your order has been received (authorized, held for review)” mean?
Checked
Authorize.Net response reason code 253 means the transaction was accepted and authorized, but is being held for merchant review by your Fraud Detection Suite settings. The bank has already approved the amount, so the shopper sees a pending charge. You decide in the Merchant Interface whether it goes through. Review held orders quickly to avoid confused customers.
- Type
- Held for review (authorized)
- Who declined
- Your Authorize.Net Fraud Detection Suite settings
- Retry
- No. Approve or decline it in the Merchant Interface.
- Shopper action
- Nothing yet; a pending authorization shows on the card.
- Merchant action
- Review promptly; declining releases the authorization.
What PlatformDTC does
When Authorize.Net answers "held for review", PlatformDTC immediately declines the held transaction through Authorize.Net's Approve or Decline Held Transaction request, so no authorization stays on the card and no order is placed. The shopper is told: "We couldn't confirm this payment, so you haven't been charged. Please try again or use a different card." A held subscription renewal is released the same way and tried once more later.
Why it happens
A Fraud Detection Suite filter set to authorize-and-hold lets the bank approve first, then parks the transaction for your decision.
What the store can do
Approve or void the transaction in the Merchant Interface. Until then the shopper's available balance is reduced by the authorized amount.
Why PlatformDTC releases the hold
PlatformDTC creates an order only after Authorize.Net approves the payment, and it has no way to hear about a decision you make later in the Merchant Interface. If a held payment were approved there afterwards, the shopper would be charged for an order that does not exist. Declining the hold straight away keeps "no order" and "no charge" true together, and the shopper can simply pay again.
For developers
responseCode "4" (Held for Review) with reason code 253.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does the shopper see a charge after Authorize.Net code 253?
- The bank authorized the amount before your filter held it; it shows as pending until you approve or void it. On PlatformDTC the hold is declined immediately, which releases it.
- What happens if I decline a 253 transaction?
- It is voided and the authorization is released.
Sources
- Authorize.Net Response Code Tool (response reason codes) — Authorize.Net
- Authorize.Net response codes (JSON list behind the Response Code Tool) — Authorize.Net
- Authorize.Net API reference: createTransactionResponse fields — Authorize.Net
Related
- 252 — The payment was accepted but is held for your review by a fraud filter set to hold.
- 254 — You or your team declined the payment after reviewing a held transaction.
- 295 — The prepaid card only covered part of the amount; another payment is needed for the rest.
- 36 — The bank approved the card at checkout, but the payment failed when it was settled.
- 6 — The card number failed validation: a typo, a missing digit, or not a real card number.
- 37 — The card number was rejected as invalid (same text as code 6).
- 315 — The processor declined the card number as invalid.