--- description: Understand Mastercard ECI Code 06. Learn how to handle acquirer-requested EMV 3DS exemptions, proceed to authorization, and manage SCA step-ups. title: Mastercard ECI Code 06: Acquirer Exemption Applied image: https://cdn.smartretry.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,height=630,quality=85,fit=cover/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.smartretry.com%2F_next%2Fstatic%2Fmedia%2Fog-image.0z0q4_5kazzzo.jpeg --- [Skip to main content](#main-content) ![Mastercard](https://cdn.smartretry.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=96,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.smartretry.com%2Fpayment-providers%2Flogos%2Fmastercard.svg) Mastercard # Mastercard ECI Code 06: Acquirer Exemption Applied (EMV 3DS Only) technical decline Last updated: September 25, 2026 ## Still letting failed transactions slip through? SmartRetry turns declines into approvals - automatically, intelligently, and without changing your payment provider. Email address Let’s talk Table of Contents ## About 06 \- "Acquirer exemption applied (EMV 3DS only)" ## Key details Brand ![Mastercard](https://cdn.smartretry.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=256,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.smartretry.com%2Fpayment-providers%2Flogos%2Fmastercard.svg) Code 06 Category ECI Codes Response 06 Detailed Response Acquirer exemption applied (EMV 3DS only) technical decline ## 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 technicalRetryable: conditional 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. ## How to solve 06? Evaluate the surrounding 3DS fields (such as transactionStatus=I for 3DS 2.2) and the gateway recommendation. If the gateway recommends proceeding, submit the payment authorization request containing the unaltered EMV 3DS authentication token supplied by the gateway. Ensure you do not request the exemption again during the authorization step itself. ### Solving as a merchant Verify that your payment gateway captures the authentication token and forwards it unaltered in the authorization request. Monitor the subsequent authorization response closely; if the issuer declines the authorization requiring SCA, configure your system to step up the user to a mandatory 3DS challenge and resubmit the payment with the new authentication details. ### Solving as a customer No action is required from the customer, as this code indicates a frictionless checkout experience without an authentication challenge. If the issuer ultimately declines the payment and demands authentication, the customer will then be prompted to complete a standard 3D Secure challenge. 💡Tip from SmartRetry If the subsequent authorization triggers an SCA soft decline despite the ECI 06 exemption, immediately escalate the transaction to a full cardholder challenge rather than retrying the frictionless payload. Ensure the downstream authorization is submitted immediately, as reusing or delaying the use of this authentication token will trigger hard issuer rejections. [See the full list of Mastercard's decline codes \>](/payment-providers/mastercard#statuses)[Find code on Mastercard's website \>](https://na.gateway.mastercard.com/api/documentation/integrationGuidelines/supportedFeatures/psd2ScaComplianceAuthenticationAPI.html?locale=en%5FUS) ### Frequently asked questions about this topic Does Mastercard ECI 06 guarantee a liability shift or payment approval? No. ECI 06 only signifies that the issuer granted an acquirer-requested exemption and allowed a frictionless flow. It does not guarantee payment authorization approval or provide a liability shift. What should I do if the authorization is declined after receiving ECI 06? If the authorization declines because the issuer requires Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), you must initiate a new authentication process with a mandated payer challenge and resubmit the payment details. How does ECI 06 differ between EMV 3DS 2.1 and 3DS 2.2? In 3DS 2.2, ECI 06 is paired with a transaction status of 'I' (Authentication Exempt). In 3DS 2.1, it is represented by transaction status 'N', reason code 81, and an AAV with the leading indicator 'kN'. #### Share this article [![Share on X](https://cdn.smartretry.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.smartretry.com%2F_next%2Fstatic%2Fmedia%2Ftwitter.21z6yr9njnznr.svg)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Mastercard%20ECI%20Code%2006%3A%20Acquirer%20Exemption%20Applied%20%28EMV%203DS%20Only%29&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smartretry.com%2Fdecline-code%2Fmastercard-eci-code-06 "Share on X")[![Share on Facebook](https://cdn.smartretry.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.smartretry.com%2F_next%2Fstatic%2Fmedia%2Ffacebook.3sbfjbsxa26qg.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smartretry.com%2Fdecline-code%2Fmastercard-eci-code-06 "Share on Facebook")[![Share on LinkedIn](https://cdn.smartretry.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.smartretry.com%2F_next%2Fstatic%2Fmedia%2Flinkedin.09sdc8tnlrn4a.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smartretry.com%2Fdecline-code%2Fmastercard-eci-code-06 "Share on LinkedIn") Make us your preferred source ![Kyle Regacho](https://cdn.smartretry.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=256,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https%3A%2F%2Fsecure.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Faa4329c7f45a68c68f2fbccab899d0f43f3740f3f9e92d5c6ea711171fc1a35f%3Fs%3D96%26d%3Dmm%26r%3Dg) Author ##### Kyle Regacho [![LinkedIn](https://cdn.smartretry.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.smartretry.com%2F_next%2Fstatic%2Fmedia%2Flinkedin.09sdc8tnlrn4a.svg)Find me on Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kdregacho/) Focused on payment recovery, decline codes, and authorization optimization at SmartRetry. Helps payment teams turn failed transactions into recovered revenue [Read all articles >](/authors/kyle-regacho) ## Join our newsletter! Real strategies to recover lost revenue - straight to your inbox Email address Subscribe ## Related codes * [![Mastercard](https://cdn.smartretry.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=256,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.smartretry.com%2Fpayment-providers%2Flogos%2Fmastercard.svg)01Authentication was attempted but not completed (e.g. timeout, user abandon)soft declinetechnical declineRead more >](/decline-code/mastercard-eci-code-01) * [![Mastercard](https://cdn.smartretry.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=256,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.smartretry.com%2Fpayment-providers%2Flogos%2Fmastercard.svg)00Authentication failed or not attempted (e.g. card not enrolled, technical issue)technical declinesoft declineRead more >](/decline-code/mastercard-eci-code-00) ## Articles you may find interesting: [View all](/blog) [![Turning Payment Declines into Revenue with Context-Aware Retry Logic](https://cdn.smartretry.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.smartretry.com%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F09%2Frecovering-revenue-with-intelligent-retries.jpg) September 25, 2026 Turning Payment Declines into Revenue with Context-Aware Retry Logic Blind retries waste fees and damage issuer trust. 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Discover how data-driven retries and response code intelligence help teams recover failed transactions and protect conversion.](/blog/cost-of-payment-declines-recovery) --- ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Mastercard ECI Code 06: Acquirer Exemption Applied (EMV 3DS Only)","url":"https://www.smartretry.com/decline-code/mastercard-eci-code-06","inLanguage":"en","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.smartretry.com/#organization","name":"SmartRetry","url":"https://www.smartretry.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://cdn.smartretry.com/logo.png","width":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","value":175,"unitCode":"PX"},"height":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","value":29,"unitCode":"PX"}},"description":"SmartRetry is a smart payment recovery platform that helps businesses save revenue from failed payment transactions and reduce false declines.","sameAs":["https://x.com/smartretry","https://www.facebook.com/smartretry","https://www.instagram.com/smartretry","https://www.linkedin.com/company/smartretry","https://www.youtube.com/@smartretry"],"contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactType":"customer support","availableLanguage":["Hebrew","English"],"url":"https://www.smartretry.com/contact"},"address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Menachem Begin","addressLocality":"Tel Aviv-Yafo","addressCountry":"IL"}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.smartretry.com/#organization","name":"SmartRetry","url":"https://www.smartretry.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://cdn.smartretry.com/logo.png","width":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","value":175,"unitCode":"PX"},"height":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","value":29,"unitCode":"PX"}},"description":"SmartRetry is a smart payment recovery platform that helps businesses save revenue from failed payment transactions and reduce false declines.","sameAs":["https://x.com/smartretry","https://www.facebook.com/smartretry","https://www.instagram.com/smartretry","https://www.linkedin.com/company/smartretry","https://www.youtube.com/@smartretry"],"contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactType":"customer support","availableLanguage":["Hebrew","English"],"url":"https://www.smartretry.com/contact"},"address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Menachem Begin","addressLocality":"Tel Aviv-Yafo","addressCountry":"IL"}},"mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.smartretry.com/decline-code/mastercard-eci-code-06","name":"Mastercard ECI Code 06: Acquirer Exemption Applied (EMV 3DS Only)"},"description":"Understand Mastercard ECI Code 06. 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