---
description: Understand Visa decline code 57 (Transaction not permitted to cardholder), why issuers restrict specific card usage, and how to handle retry logic.
title: Visa Issuer Response Code 57: Transaction Not Permitted
image: https://cdn.smartretry.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,height=630,quality=85,fit=cover/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.smartretry.com%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F10%2Fog-decline-code-visa-issuer-response-code-57.png
---

VI

Visa

# Visa Issuer Response Codes 57: 57

soft decline

Last updated: October 22, 2026

## Still letting failed transactions slip through?

SmartRetry turns declines into approvals - automatically, intelligently, and without changing your payment provider.

Table of Contents

## Key details

Brand

Visa

Code

57

Category

Issuer Response Codes

Response

57

Detailed Response

Transaction not permitted to cardholder

soft decline

This transaction is retriable

Payments failing with code 57 are often recoverable with the right retry timing and routing. SmartRetry recovers up to 70% of soft declines with smart retries!

Actually, a big part of your declined transactions can be recovered

[Recover your revenue \>](/pricing)

## What it means

Visa Issuer Response Code 57 means "Transaction not permitted to cardholder." It indicates that the issuing bank has declined the payment because that specific card cannot be used for the requested transaction. This typically occurs when the card has usage restrictions based on geography, sales channel, or the type of transaction being attempted.

## Why does code 57 occur?

* The card is restricted by sales channel, such as a card configured for in-person payments only being used for an online checkout.
* The card is restricted by geography, such as a domestic-only card being used for a cross-border transaction.
* The card does not support the specific type of transaction being attempted by the merchant.

## How to solve 57?

To resolve a Visa Code 57 decline, the restriction preventing the card from being used must be removed, or a different payment method must be provided. Because the issuing bank has blocked this specific transaction type, geography, or channel for the cardholder, an immediate retry with the same parameters will fail. Ask the customer to either provide an alternative payment method or contact their issuing bank to authorize the transaction before attempting to process the card again.

### Solving as a merchant

Suppress immediate automated retries on the unchanged transaction parameters to avoid generating unnecessary declines and potential Visa retry compliance penalties. Display a clear message at checkout informing the customer that their bank does not permit this type of transaction on their card, and prompt them to use an alternative payment method.

### Solving as a client

The cardholder should either complete the purchase using a different card or payment method, or contact their issuing bank to check if geographic, online, or transaction-type restrictions can be lifted on their account.

[See the full list of Visa's decline codes \>](/payment-providers/visa#statuses)[Find code on Visa's website \>](https://www.adyen.com/knowledge-hub/do-not-honor)

### Frequently asked questions about this topic

No FAQs available for this topic.

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##### Kyle Regacho

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Focused on payment recovery, decline codes, and authorization optimization at SmartRetry. Helps payment teams turn failed transactions into recovered revenue

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## Decline codes tell you why. We fix it.

SmartRetry reads every decline reason and applies the right retry strategy for each one. Your recovery rate goes up without any changes to your payment provider.

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