54 | Expired card
This code indicates the issuer declined the transaction because the card’s expiration date is no longer valid.
What This Code Means
Response code 54 (“Expired card”) is returned when the issuer determines that the expiration date associated with the card is past the valid period for authorization. The issuer validates the card’s expiry information as part of standard authorization checks. If the expiry is not current, the authorization is declined regardless of available funds. This code reflects an issuer validation outcome tied to card credential validity. It does not indicate a system outage or a merchant processing failure. It also does not imply fraud; it indicates the card credentials presented are no longer valid for use.
Where Users Usually See This Code
- Online checkout decline messages indicating expiration issues
- POS terminal declines during authorization
- Payment gateway logs showing response code 54
Why This Code Appears
- Card expiration date is past the issuer’s valid window
- Expiration date submitted does not match issuer records
- Stored card credentials were not updated after card replacement
- Credential capture or formatting caused an incorrect expiry value to be transmitted
What Typically Happens Next
- Authorization is declined and the transaction does not complete
- Merchant records the decline as expired card
- Subsequent attempts using the same expiry details continue to fail
What This Code Is Not
- It is not insufficient funds (see 51)
- It is not an invalid card number (see 14)
- It is not a generic issuer refusal (see 05)
Troubleshooting Checklist
- □ Confirm the expiration date values recorded in the authorization request logs
- □ Verify whether stored credentials were updated after a card replacement
- □ Document the response code for support and reconciliation
- □ Follow official processor workflows for credential update handling if relevant
Notes And Edge Cases
Some transactions use stored credentials; if a card is reissued, the stored expiry may become outdated even if the cardholder’s account remains active. Issuers can also enforce expiry checks differently depending on transaction type, such as recurring payments, tokenized wallets, or card-present usage. The decline indicates expiry validation failure, but does not specify whether the mismatch is due to an actual expired date or a formatting/capture issue.