Card issuer response codes (ISO 8583) · Decline codes
What does card decline code 55 mean?
Checked
Code 55 is an ISO 8583 issuer response code for a wrong PIN: Visa defines it as "incorrect PIN or PIN missing", Mastercard as "invalid PIN". It belongs to in-person and PIN-debit payments, so online stores rarely see it. Visa puts 55 in Category 3, data quality, which allows reattempts up to 20 in 30 days with the correct details. The cardholder simply needs to enter the right PIN.
- Type
- Data error
- Who declined
- The card's issuing bank
- Visa category
- Category 3 (data quality, revalidate payment details): up to 20 reattempts in 30 days
- Retry
- Yes, with the correct PIN
- Shopper action
- Re-enter the PIN carefully
- Merchant action
- Let the shopper try again
- 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 55, since online checkouts and renewals don't take PINs; the processor's own code decides. Stripe's incorrect_pin and invalid_pin are never retried: on either retry schedule the renewal is held past due and the customer is asked for another card. At checkout both are never offered to the backup processor.
Why it happens
The PIN typed did not match, or no PIN was sent when the card required one.
What the shopper can do
Try the PIN again. After too many wrong tries the bank returns 75 and the PIN is locked until the bank resets it.
For developers
On Stripe the raw issuer code arrives in charge.outcome.network_decline_code (here "55"), 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. On Stripe the matching codes are incorrect_pin (card readers only) and invalid_pin.
Frequently asked questions
- Why would an online store get code 55?
- Rarely. It belongs to PIN payments in person. Online payments use CVC and 3-D Secure instead.
- What comes after too many 55 declines?
- Code 75, PIN tries exceeded, which needs the bank to reset the PIN.
Sources
Related
- 75 — PIN tries exceeded: too many wrong PIN entries locked the PIN.
- 82 — Negative card verification result on Visa; invalid transaction or merchant on Mastercard.
- N7 — Decline for CVV2 failure: the security code didn't match.
- 57 — Transaction not permitted to cardholder: this card isn't allowed to make this purchase.
- 58 — Transaction not allowed at terminal: the merchant setup can't accept this transaction.
- 59 — Suspected fraud: the bank's fraud system declined the payment.
- 61 — Exceeds approval amount limit: the payment is over a limit the bank set on the card.
- 62 — Restricted card: the card can't be used here, often because of region or country.