85 | No reason to decline
This code indicates the issuer did not provide a specific decline reason in the response code mapping for the transaction.
What This Code Means
Response code 85 (“No reason to decline”) is used in some processing contexts to indicate that a specific decline reason was not supplied or was not mapped into a more detailed category. It represents a non-specific decline classification similar in spirit to “do not honor,” though the wording differs. The issuer or network recognized the request but returned a non-detailed response code outcome. This is not a funds confirmation and not a validation error like invalid card number. It indicates the decline reason is not disclosed at the response-code level to the merchant.
Where Users Usually See This Code
- Processor logs showing non-specific declines
- Online checkout decline reporting dashboards
- Merchant support tickets where response codes are summarized
Why This Code Appears
- Issuer returned a non-specific decline reason
- Processor mapped issuer response into code 85 for reporting
- Authorization path did not supply a detailed decline category
- Risk or policy declines were reported without granular codes
What Typically Happens Next
- Transaction is declined
- Merchant records a non-specific decline code
- Retrying may succeed or fail depending on issuer-side conditions
What This Code Is Not
- It is not a verified approval (it is still a decline outcome)
- It is not insufficient funds (see 51)
- It is not issuer unavailability (see 91)
Troubleshooting Checklist
- □ Review transaction attributes (channel, amount, merchant category) for pattern detection
- □ Compare frequency of code 85 to code 05 to evaluate mapping consistency
- □ Document the decline for reconciliation and customer support handling
- □ Use official issuer/acquirer support channels if declines are widespread or persistent
Notes And Edge Cases
Different processors and networks can map non-specific issuer declines differently, so the same underlying issuer decision might appear as 05 in one environment and 85 in another. The response code does not tell the merchant whether the issue is risk-based, policy-based, or account-status-based. In incident conditions, 85 can appear alongside technical codes depending on mapping behavior. Trend analysis by issuer, channel, and merchant category is often needed to infer patterns.