Card issuer response codes (ISO 8583) · Decline codes
What does card decline code 41 mean?
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Code 41 is an ISO 8583 issuer response code meaning the card was reported lost: Visa calls it "lost card, pick up (fraud account)" and Mastercard "lost card". The bank has blocked the card and will not approve anything on it. Visa lists 41 in Category 1, so the merchant must never resubmit it. Ask for another payment method without telling the shopper the card was reported lost.
- Type
- Hard decline
- Who declined
- The card's issuing bank
- Visa category
- Category 1 (issuer will never approve): never resubmit the same card
- Retry
- Never
- Shopper action
- Use a different card or payment method
- Merchant action
- Do not retry; show a generic decline message
- PlatformDTC renewal (fixed or Smart retry)
- Never retried; customer asked for a new card
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC treats a raw 41 as a hard stop on both paths. At checkout a Visa 41 is never sent to a backup processor. On either retry schedule, fixed or Smart retry, a renewal is never retried; the subscription is held past due and the customer gets a one-click link to add a new card, with an email that says only that the card is no longer usable.
Why it happens
The cardholder, or the bank, reported the card lost. If the real cardholder is paying with an old saved card, a replacement card will work; if someone else is using it, the block is doing its job.
What the store can do
Never retry, and phrase the message as an ordinary decline. Stripe's guidance for its lost_card code is to present it like a generic decline. Review the order if other details look off.
For developers
On Stripe the raw issuer code arrives in charge.outcome.network_decline_code (here "41"), 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. PlatformDTC's renewal planner and checkout routing table both list 41 as never-retry.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I tell the customer the card was reported lost?
- No. Show a neutral decline message. If they are the real cardholder, their bank will explain.
- Can a code 41 customer still subscribe?
- Yes, with a different card. The block applies to that card only.
Sources
Related
- 43 — Stolen card, pick up: the card was reported stolen. Never retry it.
- 04 — Pick up card: the bank wants the card taken out of use. Never retry it.
- 07 — Pick up card, special condition: the account is flagged for fraud. Never retry.
- 46 — Closed account: the card's account has been closed. Never retry it.
- 51 — Not sufficient funds: the balance or credit limit couldn't cover the payment.
- 54 — Expired card: the card is past its expiry date, or the date was missing.
- 55 — Incorrect PIN: the PIN entered was wrong or missing.
- 57 — Transaction not permitted to cardholder: this card isn't allowed to make this purchase.