Card issuer response codes (ISO 8583) · Decline codes
What does card decline code N7 mean?
Checked
Code N7 is a Visa issuer response code meaning "decline for CVV2 failure": the three or four-digit security code entered did not match the card. Visa lists N7 in Category 3, data quality, allowing up to 20 reattempts in 30 days with corrected details. The shopper should re-enter the security code from the card. Many wrong codes from one visitor can signal card testing.
- 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
- Only with the correct security code
- Shopper action
- Re-enter the security code from the back of the card
- Merchant action
- Ask for the correct code; watch for repeated failures
- PlatformDTC renewal (fixed or Smart retry)
- Never retried; customer asked for a new card
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC treats a Visa N7 as never-retry with the same details. At checkout it vetoes any backup-processor offer, since a wrong code fails everywhere; when Stripe reports it as incorrect_cvc the checkout tells the shopper the security code is incorrect. On either retry schedule, fixed or Smart retry, a renewal declined N7 is held and the customer gets an update-card link instead of a retry.
Why it happens
A mistyped security code, or someone using card details without the physical card.
What the shopper can do
Type the security code again exactly as printed, or use another card.
For developers
On Stripe the raw issuer code arrives in charge.outcome.network_decline_code (here "N7"), 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. Stripe's matching decline codes are incorrect_cvc and invalid_cvc, both hard in PlatformDTC's renewal table.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I retry a code N7 decline?
- Only with the correct security code. The same wrong code will fail again.
- Is N7 a fraud sign?
- One N7 is usually a typo. Many from one visitor across several cards suggests card testing.
Sources
Related
- 82 — Negative card verification result on Visa; invalid transaction or merchant on Mastercard.
- 54 — Expired card: the card is past its expiry date, or the date was missing.
- 14 — Invalid account number: no such card number exists at the bank.
- R0 — Stop this payment: the cardholder asked the bank to stop this payment.
- R1 — Stop all future payments: the cardholder revoked recurring payments to this merchant.
- R3 — Stop all merchants: the cardholder revoked recurring payments to every merchant.
- 01 — Refer to card issuer: the bank wants the cardholder to contact it before it approves.
- 02 — Refer to card issuer, special condition: the bank wants the cardholder to call before approving.