Understanding Failed Credit Card Payments

When a payment fails on TOOLBX, the system may include a decline code (e.g., 05) and/or a reason (e.g., Do Not Honor).

These responses originate from the customer’s bank (issuer) or the payment network. This guide helps you:

Understand what the decline means
Communicate clearly with your customer
Take the right next step to recover the payment

How to Use This Guide

Locate the decline code or reason in your TOOLBX notification
Find the matching entry below
Use the recommended message when speaking with your customer
Follow the suggested action to resolve the issue

1. Bank Declines (Most Common)

These account for the majority of failed payments and are controlled by the customer’s bank, not TOOLBX.

Code	Reason	Meaning	What to Tell Customer	Recommended Action
05	Do Not Honor	Generic bank decline	"Your bank declined the transaction for security reasons."	Retry once, then call bank or use another card
Refused	Refused	Generic decline	"Your bank declined the transaction."	Retry or use another card
57	Transaction Not Permitted	Card blocked for this type	"Your bank is blocking this type of purchase."	Contact bank
62	Restricted Card	Card cannot be used	"This card can’t be used for this transaction."	Try another card

Key takeaway: TOOLBX cannot override these declines.

2. Insufficient Funds & Limits

Code	Reason	Meaning	What to Tell Customer	Action
51	Insufficient Funds	Not enough balance	"There aren’t enough funds available."	Use another card
61	Exceeds Limit	Card limit reached	"The amount exceeds your card limit."	Try smaller amount or new card
65	Activity Limit Exceeded	Too many attempts	"Too many attempts were made."	Wait and retry

3. Card Detail Errors

Code	Reason	Meaning	What to Tell Customer	Action
14	Invalid Card Number	Incorrect number	"The card number entered is invalid."	Re-enter details
Invalid CVC	CVV mismatch	Wrong security code	"The security code didn’t match."	Re-enter
Invalid Expiry	Expiry incorrect	Wrong expiry date	"The expiry date is incorrect."	Re-enter
54	Expired Card	Card expired	"This card is expired."	Use the updated card

Tip: These are the easiest to fix and often succeed on retry.

4. Fraud & Verification (3D Secure)

Code / Reason	Meaning	What to Tell Customer	Action
59	Suspected Fraud	"Your bank flagged this transaction as suspicious."	Contact bank
3D Secure Required	Verification needed	"Your bank requires a quick verification step."	Retry and complete verification
3D Secure Failed 3DSecure Not Authenticated	Verification failed Authentication not completed	"The verification step wasn’t completed." “Please register your info in your issuer's website or contact your issuer.”	Retry or contact Issuer Contact Issuer

5. Temporary / System Issues

Code	Reason	Meaning	What to Tell Customer	Action
91	Issuer Unavailable	Bank didn’t respond	"Your bank didn’t respond. Please try again."	Retry
96	System Malfunction	Network issue	"There was a temporary processing issue."	Retry
Error	Processing Error	Temporary issue	"There was a temporary issue processing the payment."	Retry

Recommended Best Practices

Retry the payment once before escalating
Avoid multiple rapid retries (can increase declines)
Ask the customer to contact their bank for persistent declines
Suggest using a different card if issues continue

What This Means for Your Business

Most payment failures are caused by customer bank decisions
TOOLBX cannot override issuer declines
Clear communication can significantly improve payment recovery

Need Help?

If you continue to experience issues or see unusual patterns in payment failures, please contact TOOLBX Support.

This guide is based on standard payment network responses and is designed to simplify communication. Exact reasons for declines may vary depending on the customer’s bank.