DECLINE CODES · 43

43 · Stolen card

HARD · DO NOT RETRY
WHAT THE ISSUER IS SAYING

Reported stolen. Whoever is using it is not the cardholder — and if you complete this sale another way, the chargeback is guaranteed.

WHAT TO DO

Never retry. Decline politely, don't offer alternatives, and log the attempt for your fraud screening.

THE CATEGORY

A hard decline: the issuer's answer is final. Retrying won't change it, and it inflates your decline rate — networks watch that number.