Credit Card & Merchant Processing Error Messages

 Pike13 securely passes payment requests through your payment gateway, which then returns response messages provided directly by your merchant processor and the card-issuing bank. Understanding these error messages will help your team troubleshoot checkout issues.

In This Article

• How Credit Card Errors Work
• Specific Error Messages
• Standard Card Decline Messages
• General Troubleshooting & Best Practices

How Credit Card Errors Work

When a client’s payment fails during checkout or recurring billing, Pike13 displays the response message returned by the payment processor:

1. Transaction Request: Staff or a client submits a payment in Pike13.
2. Gateway Authorization: Your gateway securely routes the payment details to your processor and the client's card-issuing bank.
3. Response Code: The issuing bank accepts or declines the transaction, passing a status message back through the gateway.
4. Display in Pike13: Pike13 displays the gateway's exact response message so you can take appropriate action.

Specific Error Messages

1. Pick up card - L / S / SF

• What it means: The customer's issuing bank has issued a hard decline on the transaction and requested that the card account not be honored. The appended code indicates the specific status recorded by the cardholder's bank:
  • Pick up card - L: Reported as a Lost card.
  • Pick up card - S: Reported as a Stolen card.
  • Pick up card - SF: Flagged for Stolen / Fraudulent activity.
• What to do:
  • Do not attempt to re-run this specific card.
  • Request an alternative form of payment from the customer (such as a different credit/debit card, ACH, or cash).
  • If processing in person, standard merchant guidelines advise not returning the physical card to the holder if safe to hold.

2. Verification Data Failed

• What it means: The transaction failed standard security verification checks. This typically occurs when the billing information entered during checkout does not match the records at the client's bank—most commonly an Address Verification System (AVS) mismatch or an incorrect 3-digit/4-digit card security code (CVV/CID).
• What to do:
  • Re-check the billing street address, postal/ZIP code, and CVV code entered in Pike13.
  • Confirm with the client if their billing address differs from their home address (e.g., a corporate address, PO Box, or recent move).
  • Update the card details in Pike13 and re-attempt the charge.

3. Blocked, first used

• What it means: The transaction attempt was rejected because this is the first transaction attempted on a newly issued or replacement card, and the cardholder has not yet activated or unblocked the card with their bank.
• What to do:
  • Inform the customer that their newly received card needs to be activated before it can be processed.
  • Advise the client to call the activation phone number on their card sticker or log into their online banking app to complete activation.
  • Once activated, re-attempt the transaction or collect an alternate form of payment.

Standard Card Decline Messages

These are general bank decline messages returned across almost all processors:

• Do Not Honor: The cardholder's bank declined the charge without giving a specific reason. Advise the customer to contact their card issuer to approve the transaction, or collect an alternate payment method.
• Insufficient Funds: The card account does not have enough available credit or funds to cover the transaction amount. Ask for a different payment method.
• Expired Card / Invalid Card Number: The card expiration date has passed or the primary account number was mistyped. Update the credit card expiration date or re-enter the card number in the client's Pike13 profile.
• Transaction Not Allowed / Restricted Card: The card issuer restricts this specific card type from being used for this type of transaction (e.g., FSA/HSA card restrictions, international purchase blocks).

General Troubleshooting & Best Practices

• Hard Declines vs. Soft Declines: Errors such as Pick up card or Do Not Honor are hard declines issued by the bank; retrying the exact same card will not succeed until the client contacts their bank. Security mismatches like Verification Data Failed are soft declines that can usually be resolved by correcting billing info in Pike13.
• Need Gateway or Merchant Support?
  • Celero / TransNational Clients: Email customersupport@celerocommerce.com or call 888-998-6224.
  • Third-Party / Custom Processors: Contact your specific merchant processor's support line directly.