Checkout.com · Decline codes
What does Checkout.com 20159 “ACS Malfunction” mean?
Checked
Checkout.com 20159 "ACS Malfunction" means the payment failed because of a technical issue with the ACS, the bank-side server that runs 3-D Secure. Checkout.com says to request support if the issue persists. The shopper did nothing wrong, and trying again a little later, or with a card from another bank, usually works.
- Type
- Soft decline (20xxx), technical
- Who declined
- Nobody: the bank's authentication server failed
- Retry
- Possibly. Visa category 4 (generic): at most 15 retries in 30 days
- Shopper action
- Try again later, or use another card
- Merchant action
- Contact Checkout.com support if it persists
What PlatformDTC does
Checkout.com 20159 is not in PlatformDTC's reroute table, and PlatformDTC never reroutes a code it has not classified: checkout shows the decline instead of sending the card to a backup processor. With Smart retry on, a subscription renewal declined with 20159 is retried 2, 5 and 8 days after the first decline.
Why it happens
The access control server operated for the card's bank did not respond correctly during authentication.
What the shopper can do
Try again shortly, or use a card from another bank.
What the store can do
If one bank's cards keep failing with 20159, collect references and contact Checkout.com support.
For developers
The payment comes back with status Declined, response_code 20159 and a response_summary such as "ACS Malfunction" (Checkout.com notes the text can vary by endpoint). Checkout.com's Visa table puts this code in category 4, which it pairs with recommendation code 02 (try again later); read processing.recommendation_code on the response.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the ACS in Checkout.com 20159?
- The access control server that performs 3-D Secure authentication for the card.
- Can 20159 be retried?
- Yes, once the bank's server is working again.
Sources
- API response codes — Checkout.com
- Visa response codes — Checkout.com
- Mapping to Visa system integrity fee categories — Adyen
Related
- 20157 — The store's Checkout.com configuration is invalid for this payment.
- 20179 — The card data is no longer valid, for example an outdated card.
- 20182 — The payment does not comply with the card's policies.
- 20183 — The payment is suspected to be fraudulent.
- 30004 — The bank wants the card taken out of use, without saying fraud. Never retry.
- 30007 — The bank withdrew the card under special conditions. Never retry.
- 30015 — The card number does not belong to any known bank. Usually a typo.