Decline code 91: issuer or switch inoperative

What decline code 91 means

The issuer's authorization system was unavailable or timed out. Nothing is wrong with the card.

Should you retry?

Retry after a short delay, such as an hour, then again the next day if needed. Cap attempts to stay within network reattempt limits.

Equivalent codes

• Stripe decline code: issuer_not_available

Frequently asked questions

Is decline code 91 a soft or hard decline?

Soft decline (retryable). The issuer's authorization system was unavailable or timed out. Nothing is wrong with the card.

Should I retry a payment that failed with decline code 91?

Retry after a short delay, such as an hour, then again the next day if needed. Cap attempts to stay within network reattempt limits.

Other response codes

• 79 Life cycle
• 82 Policy
• 83 Fraud / security
• 85 Not declined (verification only)
• 92 Unable to route transaction
• 94 Duplicate transaction
• 96 System malfunction
• 51 Insufficient funds
• All decline codes

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