Merchant Advice Code 02: cannot approve at this time, try again later

What merchant advice code 02 means

A temporary condition prevented approval. The issuer expects the transaction could succeed later.

Should you retry?

Retry after a delay of at least a day. If code 51 accompanied it, timing the retry to when funds return is what matters.

Equivalent codes

• Stripe decline code: try_again_later

Frequently asked questions

Is merchant advice code 02 a soft or hard decline?

Soft decline (retryable). A temporary condition prevented approval. The issuer expects the transaction could succeed later.

Should I retry a payment that failed with merchant advice code 02?

Retry after a delay of at least a day. If code 51 accompanied it, timing the retry to when funds return is what matters.

Other Merchant Advice Codes

• 40 Consumer non-reloadable prepaid card
• 41 Consumer single-use virtual card number
• 42 Consumer multi-use virtual card number
• 01 New account information available
• 03 Do not try again
• 04 Token requirements not fulfilled for this token type
• 21 Recurring payment cancelled (stop billing)
• 22 Merchant does not qualify for product code
• All decline codes

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