Card issuer response codes (ISO 8583) · Decline codes
What does card decline code 92 mean?
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Code 92 is an ISO 8583 issuer response code meaning the payment could not be routed. Visa defines it as "financial institution or intermediate network facility can't be found for routing"; Mastercard as "unable to route the transaction". It is a technical failure between networks, not a bank decision. Visa does not name 92 in Categories 1 to 3, making it Category 4, with up to 20 reattempts in 30 days.
- Type
- Soft decline (routing)
- Who declined
- The network: the issuer couldn't be found
- Visa category
- Category 4 (generic response): up to 20 reattempts in 30 days
- Retry
- Yes, later
- Shopper action
- Try again or use another card
- Merchant action
- Retry; raise with your processor if it persists
- PlatformDTC renewal (Smart retry)
- Retried 2, 5 and 8 days after the decline (4 attempts max)
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC files a raw 92 as temporary. With Smart retry on, a renewal is retried 2, 5 and 8 days after the first decline, four attempts at most, never twice within 24 hours. The customer is told their bank couldn't be reached, not that their card failed.
Why it happens
The network could not find a path to the issuer, for example because of a routing table problem or an invalid receiving institution.
What the store can do
Retry later. Persistent 92s for one card range are worth reporting to your processor.
For developers
On Stripe the raw issuer code arrives in charge.outcome.network_decline_code (here "92"), 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. Visa: "receiving institution ID is invalid" is part of the definition; Mastercard: "unable to route the transaction".
Frequently asked questions
- Does code 92 mean the card is fake?
- No. It is a routing failure. A mistyped number usually gives 14 or 15.
- Should I retry code 92?
- Yes. It is a technical failure that usually clears.
Sources
Related
- 91 — Issuer or switch inoperative: the bank's system couldn't be reached.
- 96 — System malfunction: an error in the issuer or network system stopped the payment.
- 15 — No such issuer: the card number does not belong to any known bank.
- 93 — Transaction can't be completed: completing it would violate law.
- 94 — Duplicate: the request matched one the issuer had already received.
- 1A — Additional customer authentication required: the bank wants 3-D Secure / SCA.
- 5C — Transaction not supported or blocked by issuer.
- 6P — Verification data failed: cardholder ID details didn't match the bank's records.