Mastercard ECI Code 06: Acquirer Exemption Applied (EMV 3DS Only)

What it means

Mastercard ECI 06 is an EMV 3-D Secure authentication result indicating that the issuer has granted an acquirer-requested exemption, such as a PSD2/SCA Low-Risk exemption. This results in a frictionless authentication flow where no cardholder challenge is required. It is not a payment decline code, but rather a success signal to proceed with the payment authorization using the supplied authentication token.

Classification & retryability

Do not retry the transaction merely because ECI 06 is returned, as it indicates a successful exemption request, not a transient failure. However, if the subsequent payment authorization is declined because the issuer mandates Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), you must initiate a new 3DS authentication requiring a payer challenge and resubmit the payment.

Why does code 06 occur?

• The merchant or acquirer requested a PSD2/SCA exemption, such as Low-Risk or Transaction Risk Analysis (TRA), during the 3DS process.
• The issuer accepted the exemption request and allowed a frictionless flow without a payer challenge.
• In EMV 3DS 2.2, this outcome is specifically triggered when the authentication system returns acsEci=06 alongside a transactionStatus of I (Authentication Exempt).
• In EMV 3DS 2.1, this result is identified by transactionStatus=N, reason code 81, and an AAV leading indicator of kN.

Related codes

• 

  01

  Authentication was attempted but not completed (e.g. timeout, user abandon)

  soft declinetechnical decline
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• 

  00

  Authentication failed or not attempted (e.g. card not enrolled, technical issue)

  technical declinesoft decline
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