Is code 06 a hard decline?

No. Visa treats it as a generic Category 4 response, which allows reattempts.

Should the shopper call their bank about 06?

Only if it keeps happening. A retry a little later, or another card, usually works.

Card issuer response codes (ISO 8583) · Decline codes

What does card decline code 06 mean?

Checked October 31, 2026

Code 06 is a Visa issuer response code from the ISO 8583 set that simply means "error". The bank answered the authorization with a general error instead of an approval and gave no specific reason. Visa does not list 06 in Categories 1 to 3, so it falls in Category 4, generic responses, where a merchant may reattempt up to 20 times in 30 days. A later retry or another card usually resolves it.

Type: Soft decline (generic error)
Who declined: The card's issuing bank
Visa category: Category 4 (generic response): up to 20 reattempts in 30 days
Retry: Yes, later
Shopper action: Try again shortly or use another card
Merchant action: Retry later; watch for repeats across many cards
PlatformDTC renewal (Smart retry): No rule for this raw code; the processor's own code decides

What PlatformDTC does

PlatformDTC has no rule for a raw 06, so the processor's own decline code decides. With Smart retry on, a temporary code such as processing_error is retried 2, 5 and 8 days after the decline, a do_not_honor gets one retry, and an unrecognised code is timed like insufficient funds and logged for review. The per-card network reattempt cap always applies.

Why it happens

An error code says the request could not be completed, not that the cardholder lacks money or the card is dead. It is vague by design.

What the store can do

Let the shopper try again. If you see 06 from many unrelated cards at once, check your processor's status page, since a run of errors is more likely technical than a series of bank decisions.

For developers

On Stripe the raw issuer code arrives in charge.outcome.network_decline_code (here "06"), next to Stripe's own decline_code. Read it together with the card brand: the same two characters can mean different things on Visa and Mastercard. 06 appears in Stripe's Visa table ("Error") and is not in Mastercard's table. PlatformDTC's networkDeclineCodeMap has no entry for it.

Frequently asked questions

Is code 06 a hard decline?: No. Visa treats it as a generic Category 4 response, which allows reattempts.
Should the shopper call their bank about 06?: Only if it keeps happening. A retry a little later, or another card, usually works.