You can retry most declined transactions, but some scheme codes mean you should never retry the transaction.
Be aware that Visa and Mastercard charge fees for excessive retries within a rolling time frame.
Visa
You can retry a Visa transaction up to 15 times in a rolling 30-day time frame for the same card, amount, and currency unless the transaction returns one of the following Do not retry response codes:
-
30004– Pick up card (No fraud) -
30007– Pick up card - Special conditions -
30015– No such issuer (This will be phased out from April 12, 2025.) -
30041– Lost card - Pick up -
30043– Stolen card - Pick up -
30046– Closed account
Note
From May 19, 2025, Visa’s retry limit for a rolling
30-day time frame increases from 15 times to 20, excluding transactions
that return
a Do not retry response code. As part of this change, Visa
also separates retry counters for customer-initiated transactions and
merchant-initiated
transactions.
Mastercard
You can retry a Mastercard transaction up to 10 times in 24 hours, and up to 35 times for the same card in a rolling 30-day time frame unless the transaction returns one of the following Do not try again recommendation codes:
-
03– Do not try again -
21– Payment cancellation