Authorize.Net Response Code 2: Declined
The transaction was declined by the issuing bank or processor. Ask the customer to contact their bank or use a different payment method.
What it means
Authorize.Net Response Code 2 indicates a general transaction decline by the card-issuing bank or the merchant service provider. This is a high-level gateway response where the issuer rejects the transaction but does not provide a granular sub-reason (such as insufficient funds or a canceled card) back to the gateway. It signifies a standard decline state for credit cards and eChecks rather than a gateway validation or technical error.
Classification & retryability
Do not use automated, high-frequency retries for Code 2. Retries should only be attempted manually after the customer has confirmed with their issuing bank that the card is active and permitted for online purchases, or after the customer provides a new payment method.
Common causes
- The card-issuing bank declined the transaction due to insufficient funds.
- The customer's card is canceled or otherwise marked as invalid by the issuer.
- The issuing bank does not permit internet or card-not-present (CNP) transactions for this specific account.
- The transaction requires verbal authorization from the cardholder's bank before it can proceed.
- Merchant-configured gateway risk filters, such as Address Verification Service (AVS) mismatch rules, triggered a decline.
How to resolve it
Address this general decline by first surfacing clear remediation messaging to the customer, as the gateway cannot automatically recover from an issuer-level block. Prompt the cardholder to contact their issuing bank to resolve any restrictions, or ask them to enter an alternative payment method. Once the customer has confirmed the issue is resolved with their bank or updated their details, you can safely re-attempt the transaction.
For merchants
Configure your checkout flow to clearly ask for an alternative payment method when Code 2 is received. Suppress blind, automated retries for this code to avoid increasing your issuer risk flags. Additionally, monitor your overall decline ratios; if you observe an unexpected spike in Code 2 declines, review your Authorize.Net gateway risk settings (such as AVS mismatch rules) to ensure legitimate transactions aren't being inadvertently blocked.
For customers
Contact your issuing bank or financial institution to determine why the charge was blocked, ensure the account has sufficient funds, and verify that the card is authorized for online purchases. Alternatively, provide a different credit card or payment method to complete the transaction.