Have you ever tried to make an online purchase with your credit card, only to see a message saying “auth declined 200”? If so, you are not alone. This error code is one of the most common and frustrating ones that customers and merchants encounter in online transactions. It indicates that your payment has failed and you cannot complete your order.
In this article, we will explain what auth declined 200 means, why it happens, and how you can fix it. We will also share some tips for both customers and merchants to prevent or reduce this error in the future. By the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of auth declined 200 and how to deal with it.
What is Auth Declined 200?
Auth declined 200 is a credit card error code that means “authorization system error”. It occurs when the payment processor or the gateway cannot communicate with the issuing bank or the card network to authorize the transaction. In other words, the payment processor or the gateway cannot get a response from the bank or the card network to confirm or decline the transaction.
When this happens, the payment processor or the gateway will return a default response of auth declined 200 to the merchant. This means that the transaction is not approved and the payment is not processed. The customer will see a message saying “auth declined 200” or something similar on the checkout page or the payment confirmation page.
How Common is Auth Declined 200?
Auth declined 200 is a very common error code that affects millions of online transactions every year. According to a report by Worldpay, auth declined 200 accounted for 18.4% of all declined transactions in 2023, making it the second most common reason for payment failure after insufficient funds.
Auth declined 200 can have a significant impact on the revenue and reputation of online merchants. According to another report by Baymard Institute, the average cart abandonment rate in 2023 was 69.8%, meaning that almost 7 out of 10 customers left the checkout process without completing their purchase. One of the main reasons for cart abandonment was payment issues, such as auth declined 200.
Auth declined 200 can also affect the customer experience and satisfaction. According to a survey by Statista, 21% of online shoppers worldwide abandoned their carts in 2023 because their payment was declined or they encountered an error. This can lead to frustration, dissatisfaction, and loss of trust among customers.
The following infographic summarizes the statistics and facts about auth declined 200 and its impact on online transactions.
What Causes Auth Declined 200?
There are many possible causes for auth declined 200, depending on the payment processor, the gateway, the issuing bank, the card network, and the customer. Some of the most common causes are:
- Address Verification Service (AVS) mismatch: AVS is a security feature that checks if the billing address entered by the customer matches the address on file with the issuing bank. If there is a mismatch, the bank may decline the transaction or the payment processor may reject it. Some of the reasons for AVS mismatch are:
- The customer entered the wrong billing address or made a typo
- The customer moved to a new address but did not update it with the bank
- The customer used a different address than the one on file with the bank, such as a shipping address or a PO box
- The payment processor or the gateway applied strict fraud rules that require an exact match of the address
- Processor decline: A processor decline is when the payment processor or the gateway declines the transaction before sending it to the bank or the card network for authorization. This can happen for various reasons, such as:
- The customer entered an invalid card number, expiration date, or security code
- The customer’s card has expired or been canceled
- The customer’s card has reached its limit or been blocked
- The payment processor or the gateway received a “do not honor” response from the bank or the card network, meaning that they do not want to approve the transaction for some reason
- Other reasons: There are some other less common or specific reasons that can cause auth declined 200, such as:
- The payment processor or the gateway experienced a server maintenance or a technical issue that prevented them from communicating with the bank or the card network
- The payment processor or the gateway received a “line item invalid” response from the bank or the card network, meaning that there was something wrong with the details of the transaction, such as the amount, the currency, or the product
- The payment processor or the gateway received a “duplicate transaction” response from the bank or the card network, meaning that they detected a repeated or suspicious transaction from the same customer or card
How to Fix Auth Declined 200?
If you encounter auth declined 200, don’t panic. There are some simple steps you can take to fix it and complete your online purchase. Here are some solutions for both customers and merchants to deal with auth declined 200.
For Customers
If you are a customer and you see a message saying “auth declined 200” or something similar, you can try the following tips:
- Check your card details: Make sure you entered your card number, expiration date, security code, and billing address correctly. If you made a typo or used an outdated or invalid card, you can correct it and try again.
- Contact your bank: Sometimes, your bank may decline your transaction or block your card for security reasons, such as fraud prevention, insufficient funds, over limit, or do not honor. You can call your bank and ask them why your transaction was declined and how you can fix it. They may be able to authorize your transaction or unblock your card over the phone.
- Use a different payment method: If your card is not working or your bank is not helpful, you can switch to a different payment method, such as another card, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, or cash on delivery. You can also use a different device, browser, or network to make your payment.
- Retry the transaction later: Sometimes, auth declined 200 may be caused by a temporary issue with the payment processor, the gateway, the bank, or the card network. You can wait for a few minutes or hours and try the transaction again. It may work the next time.
For Merchants
If you are a merchant and you see a lot of auth declined 200 transactions in your dashboard, you can try the following tips:
- Verify customer information: You can ask your customers to provide additional information to verify their identity and payment details, such as a phone number, an email address, a photo ID, or a verification code. You can also use tools like 3D Secure or Verified by Visa to add an extra layer of security to your transactions.
- Update payment integration: You can check if your payment processor, your gateway, your bank, and your card network are compatible and up to date. You can also use a reliable and secure payment platform that supports multiple payment methods, currencies, and regions. You can also test your payment integration regularly and fix any bugs or errors that may cause auth declined 200.
- Adjust fraud rules: You can review and adjust your fraud rules and settings to balance between security and convenience. You can also use tools like FraudLabs Pro or Kount to detect and prevent fraudulent transactions and reduce false positives. You can also monitor your transactions and analyze your data to identify and avoid common patterns and triggers that may cause auth declined 200.
- Contact the processor: You can contact your payment processor or your gateway and ask them why your transactions are being declined and how you can fix it. They may be able to provide you with more information and guidance on how to resolve auth declined 200. They may also be able to help you with refunds, chargebacks, or disputes that may arise from auth declined 200.
Conclusion
Auth declined 200 is a credit card error code that means “authorization system error”. It occurs when the payment processor or the gateway cannot communicate with the issuing bank or the card network to authorize the transaction. It is one of the most common and frustrating reasons for payment failure in online transactions.
Auth declined 200 can have a significant impact on the revenue and reputation of online merchants, as well as the customer experience and satisfaction. Therefore, it is important to understand what causes auth declined 200 and how to fix it.
In this article, we have explained the common causes and solutions for auth declined 200 for both customers and merchants. We have also shared some tips for both customers and merchants to prevent or reduce this error in the future.
We hope this article has helped you learn more about auth declined 200 and how to deal with it. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading!
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about auth declined 200.
