Understanding Reason Codes and Reply Flags in Visa Acceptance Solutions

Visa Acceptance Solutions (including Cybersource) transaction responses return either a reason code or a reply flag, depending on the integration method used. These values indicate the outcome of a transaction, including successful processing, declines, system errors, and fraud-related decisions.

Use this article to identify what a specific reason code or reply flag means and what action to take.

Applicability

This article applies to internal support teams and merchants using the following integration methods:

• Simple Order API
• Virtual Terminal
• Secure Acceptance - Hosted Checkout
• Secure Acceptance - Checkout API
• SOAP Toolkit API
• Offline Transaction File Submission
• SCMP API (reply flag equivalents)

Reason Codes vs Reply Flags

A reason code is a numeric value returned for transactions submitted using the Simple Order API, Virtual Terminal, Secure Acceptance (Hosted Checkout and Checkout API), SOAP Toolkit API, and Offline Transaction File Submission.

A reply flag (rflag) is the equivalent value returned by the SCMP API. Reply flags represent similar outcomes but are specific to SCMP messaging.

If you receive a reason code that is not listed in this article, contact Client Services.

Successful Transactions

Reason Code	Reply Flag	Description	Possible Action
100	SOK	Successful transaction.	No action required.

Request Validation Errors

Reason Code	Reply Flag	Description	Possible Action
101	DMISSINGFIELD	One or more required fields are missing from the request.	Review missingField_0..N and resend the request with the required fields.
102	DINVALIDDATA	One or more fields in the request contain invalid data.	Review invalidField_0..N and resend the request with corrected data.
104	DDUPLICATE	Duplicate merchantReferenceCode submitted.	Resend the request with a unique merchant reference code.

Partial Approvals

Reason Code	Reply Flag	Description	Possible Action
110	SPARTIALAPPROVAL	Only a partial amount of the requested authorization was approved by the issuer.	Refer to the Partial Authorization documentation to handle the remaining balance.

Issuer and Bank Declines

Reason Code	Reply Flag	Description	Possible Action
120	N/A	The transaction is not permitted.	Advise the customer to contact the issuing bank.
200	DAVSNO	Address Verification Service (AVS) mismatch - soft decline.	Capture is allowed; review for fraud risk before proceeding.
201	DCALL	The issuer requires clarification before approving.	Contact the processor for further guidance.
202	DCARDEXPIRED	The card has expired.	Request an updated card from the customer.
203	DCARDREFUSED	General issuer decline.	Request an alternate payment method.
204	DCARDREFUSED	Insufficient funds on the account.	Request an alternate payment method.
205	DCARDREFUSED	The card is reported lost or stolen.	Refer the case to internal support.
207	DCARDREFUSED	The issuer is unavailable.	Retry after a short delay.
208	DCARDREFUSED	Card is inactive or CNP transactions are not allowed.	Request an alternate payment method.
209 / 211	DCARDREFUSED	Card Verification Number (CVN) mismatch.	Request an alternate payment method.
210	DCARDREFUSED	Credit limit exceeded.	Request an alternate payment method.
230	DCV	CVN mismatch - soft decline.	Capture is allowed; review for fraud risk before proceeding.
231	DINVALIDCARD	Invalid card number.	Request an alternate payment method.
232	DINVALIDCARD	Card type is not accepted by the payment processor.	Contact the merchant bank to confirm accepted card types.
233	DINVALIDDATA	The processor declined the request.	Request an alternate payment method.

System and Configuration Errors

Important: Avoid repeatedly retrying transactions without validating transaction status first. Endless retries can result in duplicate authorizations or processor rejection.

If reason code 150 occurs repeatedly for the same merchant or transaction type, it may indicate a configuration issue rather than a transient system error. Confirm that the merchant configuration matches the VAR sheet. If using Visa Acceptance Platform (VAP), review the processor setup entered on the platform. If not using VAP, submit the VAR sheet in a support case for validation, and confirm with the Merchant Acquirer that the processor account and VAR sheet details are correct.

Reason Code	Reply Flag	Description	Possible Action
150	ESYSTEM	System error during transaction processing; may be transient or a processor rejection due to invalid data.	Verify transaction status before retrying. If repeated, review configuration per the note above.
151 / 152	ETIMEOUT	Server timeout occurred during processing.	Check the Business Center for transaction status before retrying.
154	ESYSTEM	Bad Message Authentication Code (MAC) key.	Safe to retry the payout.
234	DINVALIDDATA	Configuration error detected in the request.	Contact Client Services for review.
236	DINVALIDDATA	Processor failure.	Retry after a short delay.
250 / 268	ETIMEOUT	Processor timeout during transaction processing.	Verify the transaction status before submitting a retry.
261	N/A	Invalid processor setup.	Contact Client Services to correct the processor configuration.

Fraud and Authentication Responses

Reason Code	Reply Flag	Description	Possible Action
400	DSCORE	Fraud score exceeded the merchant's threshold.	Review the transaction before capture.
474	DAUTHENTICATE	Personal Identification Number (PIN) is required to complete the transaction.	Collect the PIN from the cardholder and resubmit.
475 / 476	DAUTHENTICATE	Payer authentication is required or has failed.	Authenticate the cardholder and resubmit.
478	DAUTHENTICATE	Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) is required for this transaction.	Resubmit the transaction with SCA completed.
480	DREVIEW	The order is marked for review by Decision Manager.	Review the order in Decision Manager and follow the Decision Manager workflow.
481	DREJECT	The order has been rejected by Decision Manager.	Follow Decision Manager guidance for rejected orders.

Aggregator and Regulatory Restrictions

Reason Code	Reply Flag	Description	Possible Action
490	DAGGREJECTED	Your aggregator or acquirer is not accepting transactions from you at this time.	Contact the aggregator or acquirer to resolve the block.
491	DAGGREJECTED	Your aggregator or acquirer is not accepting this transaction.	Contact the aggregator or acquirer to determine why the transaction was blocked.
520	DSETTINGS	Soft Decline - Authorization approved by the issuer but declined by internal systems based on Smart Authorization settings.	Do not capture without further review. Review ccAuthReply_avsCode, ccAuthReply_cvCode, and ccAuthReply_authFactorCode to determine why the transaction was rejected.
700	DRESTRICTED	The customer matched the Denied Parties List.	Reject the customer's order.
701	DRESTRICTED	Export bill_country / ship_country match.	Reject the customer's order.
702	DRESTRICTED	Export email_country match.	Reject the customer's order.
703	DRESTRICTED	Export hostname_country / ip_country match.	Reject the customer's order.

Refunds and Credits

Some reason codes require issuing refunds or credits after authorization or settlement. For step-by-step guidance, refer to Payments - How to Issue a Refund or Credit.

Additional Resources

• Payments - Common Reason Response Codes (RRC)
• Payments - How to Issue a Refund or Credit
• Reason Codes for Other APIs
• developer.cybersource.com
• developer.visaacceptance.com