Response/Action Codes
The following guide contains information regarding the different Error codes supported by the TNS Terminal API and also provides information required to troubleshoot the terminal when necessary
Positive Results
00 | Approved | The transaction can be treated as Approved. The issuer has authorized the payment, and all standard risk checks have passed. Funds will be captured according to normal processing timelines. No further action is required from the merchant. |
08 | Honor with identification | The transaction may proceed if the cardholder provides valid identification. This response indicates conditional approval and requires additional verification before completion. |
09 | Request in Progress | The transaction is currently being processed and a final response is pending. The terminal should wait for completion or retry after a timeout. |
11 | Partial approval | The transaction was approved for a lesser amount than requested. The merchant should prompt for an additional payment method to cover the remaining balance. |
85 | No reason to decline | The transaction is approved with no specific reason to decline. This is typically used for test or fallback scenarios. |
Y1 | Offline approved | The transaction was approved by the terminal as per the standard EMV scheme rules, this transaction has been processed offline, however all EMV risk and liability controls will still be present. The consumer's card has approved this transaction on behalf of their bank, their bank will honour this approval. The transaction will settle once the terminal has been able to forward this to TNS. There might be a mismatch between your reporting and the TNS with the Merchant Portal until the terminal is able to pass this transaction on. |
Y3 | Unable to go online – offline approved | The terminal attempted to process the transaction online, this process failed for some reason, the terminal has elected to process this transaction offline, this decision is based on configuration in the terminal. The transaction will be stored and forwarded at a later time when connectivity is restored. It was not the consumers card that gave the authority to do this like EMV Offline, in this scenario there is no liability shift to the card holders bank on this transaction. If the card holder cannot honour the transaction, then you will lose these finds. Deferred Authorisation should only be used when you do not want to cause operational issues on declines due to connectivity issues but are okay with the chance of declined transactions when the consumer has already departed with your service or product. |
Y6 | Approved – TIAC | The transaction was approved under TIAC rules. This is a fallback approval mechanism used in specific configurations where online authorization is not possible. The merchant should ensure compliance with TIAC guidelines. |
Negative Results
01 | Refer to card issuer | The transaction was declined.The cardholder must contact their issuing bank for further instructions.Merchant should not retry and advise the customer to use an alternate payment method. |
02 | Refer to card issuer (special condition) | The transaction was declined.The issuer flagged a special condition requiring cardholder intervention.Merchant should advise the customer to contact their bank before retrying. |
03 | Invalid merchant | The transaction was rejected.Merchant credentials are invalid or unrecognized due to configuration errors.Merchant should verify setup and contact their payment provider. |
04 | Card lost or stolen | The transaction was declined.The card has been reported as lost or stolen by the issuer.Merchant may retain the card if safe and advise the customer to contact their bank. |
05 | Do not honor | The transaction was declined.Issuer did not provide a specific reason, possibly due to account status or suspected fraud.Merchant should request an alternate payment method. |
06 | General error | The transaction failed.A general processing error occurred due to system or network issues.Merchant may retry or escalate to technical support. |
07 | Card lost or stolen (special condition) | The transaction was declined.The card is flagged under a special lost/stolen status requiring immediate attention.Merchant may be instructed to retain the card and follow acquirer guidelines. |
12 | Invalid transaction | The transaction was rejected.The transaction type is unsupported or incorrectly formatted.Merchant should verify parameters and retry. |
13 | Invalid amount | The transaction was rejected.The amount is invalid or exceeds configured thresholds.Merchant should correct the amount and retry. |
14 | Invalid account number | The transaction was declined.The account number is not recognized or incorrectly formatted.Merchant should verify card details before retrying. |
15 | Invalid issuer | The transaction was declined.The card issuer is not supported by the payment network.Merchant should request a different card from the customer. |
16 | Insufficient funds | The transaction was declined.The cardholder’s account lacks sufficient funds.Merchant should request an alternate payment method or retry with a lower amount. |
19 | Re-enter transaction | The transaction could not be processed.A temporary issue occurred during entry.Merchant should re-enter the transaction details and retry. |
20 | Invalid response | The transaction failed.The issuer returned an invalid or unexpected response.Merchant should retry or escalate to technical support. |
21 | Invalid card number | The transaction was declined.The card number format is incorrect or not recognized.Merchant should verify the card details before retrying. |
22 | Suspected malfunction | The transaction failed.A terminal or system malfunction is suspected.Merchant should check the device and retry or contact support. |
25 | Account missing | The transaction was declined.The requested account does not exist or cannot be found.Merchant should request an alternate payment method. |
28 | File unavailable | The transaction failed.A required file or record is unavailable.Merchant should retry later or contact support. |
30 | Format error | The transaction was rejected.The message format is invalid or corrupted.Merchant should verify the request structure and retry. |
41 | Merchant retain lost card | The transaction was declined.The card has been reported lost by the issuer.Merchant should retain the card if safe and follow acquirer instructions. |
43 | Merchant retain stolen card | The transaction was declined.The card has been reported stolen by the issuer.Merchant should retain the card if safe and follow acquirer instructions. |
51 | Insufficient funds | The transaction was declined.The account has insufficient funds to complete the transaction.Merchant should request an alternate payment method. |
52 | No checking account | The transaction was declined.The cardholder does not have a checking account linked to the card.Merchant should request an alternate payment method. |
53 | No saving account | The transaction was declined.The cardholder does not have a savings account linked to the card.Merchant should request an alternate payment method. |
54 | Expired card | The transaction was declined.The card has expired and is no longer valid.Merchant should request an alternate payment method. |
57 | Transaction not permitted | The transaction was declined.The cardholder is not permitted to perform this transaction type.Merchant should request an alternate payment method. |
58 | Transaction not allowed at terminal | The transaction was rejected.The terminal is not authorized to perform this transaction type.Merchant should verify terminal configuration. |
59 | Suspected fraud | The transaction was declined.Issuer suspects fraudulent activity.Merchant should not proceed and may need to retain the card. |
61 | Exceeded amount limit | The transaction was declined.The amount exceeds the card’s allowed limit.Merchant should reduce the amount or request another payment method. |
62 | Restricted card | The transaction was declined.The card is restricted and cannot be used for this transaction.Merchant should request an alternate payment method. |
63 | Security violation | The transaction failed.A security violation occurred during processing.Merchant should retry or escalate to support. |
65 | Exceeded count limit | The transaction was declined.The card has exceeded the allowed number of transactions.Merchant should request an alternate payment method. |
68 | Response timeout | The transaction failed.The issuer did not respond within the expected time.Merchant may retry or advise the customer to use another method. |
78 | Blocked card | The transaction was declined.The card is blocked and cannot be used.Merchant should request an alternate payment method. |
80 | Issuer unavailable | The transaction failed.The issuer is temporarily unavailable.Merchant may retry later or request another payment method. |
82 | Negative CVV | The transaction was declined.CVV verification failed.Merchant should verify the card details and retry. |
91 | Issuers unavailable | The transaction failed.The card issuer is not available to respond.Merchant should retry later or request another payment method. |
92 | Routing failure | The transaction failed.The request could not be routed to the issuer.Merchant should retry or escalate to support. |
93 | Transaction cannot be completed | The transaction was declined.Issuer restrictions prevent completion.Merchant should request an alternate payment method. |
94 | Duplicate transmission | The transaction was rejected.It appears to be a duplicate submission.Merchant should verify and avoid resubmitting. |
95 | Reconciliation error | The transaction failed.A reconciliation error occurred.Merchant should contact support for resolution. |
96 | System malfunction | The transaction failed.A system malfunction occurred during processing.Merchant should retry or escalate to technical support. |
H0 | Insert card | The transaction requires card insertion.The terminal needs the card to be inserted for EMV processing.Merchant should prompt the customer accordingly. |
N0 | Force STIP | The transaction will proceed under fallback rules.Stand-in processing is required due to issuer unavailability.Merchant should ensure fallback configuration is correct. |
N3 | Cash service unavailable | The transaction was declined.Cash service is not available for this card or terminal.Merchant should inform the customer and suggest alternatives. |
N4 | Cashback exceeded limit | The transaction was declined.The cashback amount exceeds the allowed limit.Merchant should reduce the amount or decline the request. |
N7 | CVV2 decline | The transaction was declined.CVV2 verification failed during processing.Merchant should verify the card details and retry. |
P2 | Invalid biller | The transaction was rejected.The biller information provided is invalid.Merchant should correct the details and retry. |
Q1 | Card authentication failed | The transaction was declined.Card authentication failed during EMV or contactless processing.Merchant should request an alternate payment method. |
R0 | Stop payment order | The transaction was declined.A stop payment order has been issued by the issuer.Merchant should not retry and advise the customer to contact their bank. |
R1 | Revocation order | The transaction was declined.The issuer has revoked the transaction authorization.Merchant should not retry and request an alternate payment method. |
R3 | Revocation order (alternate) | The transaction was declined.The issuer has revoked the transaction authorization.Merchant should not retry and request an alternate payment method. |
XA | Forward to issuer | The transaction requires issuer intervention.It should be forwarded to the issuer for additional processing.Merchant should ensure connectivity and retry. |
XD | Forward to issuer (alternate) | The transaction requires issuer intervention.It should be forwarded to the issuer for additional processing.Merchant should ensure connectivity and retry. |
CA | Cancelled | The transaction was cancelled.It was aborted by the user or system before completion.No funds will be captured. |
TO | Timeout | The transaction timed out.No response was received within the expected timeframe.Merchant may retry or advise the customer to use another method. |
Z1 | Offline declined | The transaction was declined offline.The terminal rejected the transaction without issuer involvement.Merchant should request an alternate payment method. |
Z3 | Unable to go online – offline declined | The transaction was declined offline.The terminal could not connect for online authorization and rejected the transaction.Merchant should retry when connectivity is restored or request another payment method. |
Error Response Codes
Code | Constant | Description |
|---|---|---|
1 | SUCCNOREQBATCH | Settlement succeeded without doing batch upload |
-1 | ERR_TIMEOUT | Timeout |
-2 | ERR_CONNECT | Fail to connect |
-3 | ERR_SEND | Fail to send message |
-4 | ERR_RECV | Fail to receive message |
-5 | ERR_PACK | Fail to generate package |
-6 | ERR_UNPACK | Fail to parse package |
-7 | ERR_PACKET | Format of package is wrong |
-8 | ERR_MAC | MAC of package is wrong |
-9 | ERRPROCCODE | Process code is unmatched |
-10 | ERR_MSG | Message type is unmatched |
-11 | ERRTRANSAMT | Transaction amount is unmatched |
-12 | ERRTRACENO | Trace no is unmatched |
-13 | ERRTERMID | Terminal ID is unmatched |
-14 | ERRMERCHID | Merchant ID is unmatched |
-15 | ERRNOTRANS | No transaction |
-16 | ERRNOORIG_TRANS | Cannot find the original transaction |
-17 | ERRHASVOIDED | Transaction has been voided |
-18 | ERRVOIDUNSUPPORTED | Transaction cannot be voided |
-19 | ERRCOMMCHANNEL | Comm channel error |
-20 | ERRHOSTREJECT | Rejected by host |
-21 | ERR_ABORTED | Transaction aborted (no message) |
-22 | ERRUSERCANCEL | Transaction aborted (user cancel) |
-23 | ERRNEEDSETTLE_NOW | Need to settle now due to limits or currency |
-24 | ERRNEEDSETTLE_LATER | Need to settle later due to limits or currency |
-25 | ERRNOFREE_SPACE | Need to settle due to storage limits |
-26 | ERRNOTSUPPORT_TRANS | Transaction is unsupported |
-27 | ERRCARDNO | Card number is unmatched |
-28 | ERR_PASSWORD | Wrong password |
-29 | ERR_PARAM | Wrong parameter |
-31 | ERRBATCHUPNOTCOMPLETED | Batch upload not completed |
-33 | ERR_AMOUNT | Amount exceeded limit |
-34 | ERRCARDDENIED | Approved by host, declined by card |
-35 | ERRCARDOFFLINE_DENIED | Offline declined by card |
-36 | ERRADJUSTUNSUPPORTED | Transaction cannot be adjusted |
-37 | ERRCARDUNSUPPORTED | Card is unsupported |
-38 | ERRCARDEXPIRED | Expired card |
-39 | ERRCARDINVALID | Invalid card number |
-40 | ERRUNSUPPORTEDFUNC | Unsupported function |
-41 | ERRCLSSPRE_PROC | Fail to complete CLSS pre-process |
-42 | NEEDFALLBACK | Need to fall back |
-43 | ERRINVALIDEMV_QR | Invalid EMV QR code |
-44 | ERRINVALIDBT_PRINTER | Invalid BtPrinter code |
-45 | ERRBTPRINT_CANCEL | |
-46 | ERRBTCONNECT | |
-47 | ERRCONTACTPRE_PROC | |
-48 | ERRNOSUPPORTEDTRANSMETHOD | |
-49 | ERRNOPIN_PAD | |
-50 | ERR_PIN | |
-51 | ERR_PED | |
-52 | ERRNOKEY | |
-53 | ERRCARDREAD_FAIL | |
-54 | ONSEARCHCARDEVENTUPDATE_PARAM | |
-55 | ERRINVALIDCARD | Card format correct but not in card bin |
-56 | ERRINVALIDKEY_ENC | Encryption key not found |
-57 | ERRPOSCANCELWAITCARD | |
-58 | ERRREADFLEET_CARD | |
-59 | ERRPEDeTRACK2 | |
-60 | ERR_DATABASE | |
-61 | ERRMAGSERVICE_CODE | Mag stripe service code is EMV but swiped |
-62 | ERRMAGDATA_TRACK | |
-63 | ERR_CHAINLINK_WHITELIST | Chainlink error |
-64 | ERRHASCOMPLETED | |
-65 | ERRCHAINLINKLICENCE | Chainlink license error |
-66 | ERRCHAINLINKAPP | Chainlink app error |
-67 | INVALIDREQUESTDATA | Request data is invalid |
-68 | ERRNOTALLOWFOREIGNCARD |
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- Response/Action Codes