Authorize.Net · Decline codes
What does Authorize.Net 6 “The credit card number is invalid” mean?
Checked
Authorize.Net response reason code 6, "The credit card number is invalid", means the card number submitted did not pass validation. Usually the shopper mistyped it, dropped a digit, or pasted something that is not a card number. Resubmitting the same number will fail again. The shopper should re-enter it carefully; if many shoppers hit code 6, check that your checkout is not altering the number.
- Type
- Hard decline for these details
- Who declined
- Authorize.Net's validation
- Retry
- Only with a corrected card number.
- Shopper action
- Re-type the card number or use another card.
- Merchant action
- Make sure the checkout sends the full number without spaces or masking.
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC classes Authorize.Net code 6 as never-retry on the same details. Its checkout never sends raw card numbers at all: Accept.js in the shopper's browser turns the card into a one-time token, and requests carrying a card number are refused. On a subscription renewal the code is not retried: the subscription is held past due and the customer gets an email with a link to add a new card.
Why it happens
Card numbers carry a check digit and a known length per brand. A number that fails those checks is rejected before any bank sees it.
What the shopper can do
Type the long number from the card again, watching for swapped digits. Autofill sometimes saves an old or partial number.
What the store can do
If code 6 is frequent, test your payment form: field limits, stripped digits or masked values sent to Authorize.Net all cause it.
For developers
errors[0].errorCode "6" (37 and 315 are the processor-issued equivalents). With Accept.js the number never touches your server; send opaqueData instead of creditCard.cardNumber.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Authorize.Net code 6 mean the card is fake?
- Not necessarily. Most code 6 errors are typing mistakes.
- What is the difference between Authorize.Net codes 6, 37 and 315?
- All say the card number is invalid; 315 is described as a processor-issued decline, while 6 and 37 share the same text.
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
- 37 — The card number was rejected as invalid (same text as code 6).
- 315 — The processor declined the card number as invalid.
- 7 — The expiry date was sent in the wrong format or is not a valid date.
- 8 — The card's expiry date has passed, so it can no longer be charged.
- 316 — The processor rejected the card's expiry date as invalid.
- 317 — The processor declined because the card has expired.