Code 62: Restricted Card

Decline Code 62: What 'Restricted Card' Means for Merchants

Decline code 62 means the card has a restriction that prevents it from being used at this merchant or for this transaction type. It is not a funds issue. The balance may be fine, the card may be active, but the issuing bank has rules in place that block this specific transaction, making it a hard decline. The merchant cannot override it and retrying won't help.

What Does Decline Code 62 Mean?

Banks can attach a wide range of restrictions to a card at the account level. Those restrictions can be geographic, blocking the card from processing in certain countries or regions. They can be category-based, preventing use at specific merchant types based on SIC or MCC codes. They can be transaction-type restrictions, blocking card-not-present or online purchases entirely. Or they can be structural limitations built into the card product itself, like a prepaid card designed only for certain use cases.

Code 62 fires when any of those restrictions collide with the transaction being attempted. The card isn't declined because of a balance problem or a fraud flag. It's declined because the bank's rules say this card isn't allowed to do what's being asked of it here.

Common Causes of a Decline Code 62

• Card blocked for international or cross-border use. Many banks disable international transactions by default. A card that works domestically may return a 62 the moment it's used abroad or on a foreign merchant's site.
• Card blocked for online or card-not-present transactions. Some accounts, particularly older or lower-tier products, restrict card use to in-person transactions only.
• Prepaid or gift card with merchant category restrictions. Prepaid cards are often issued with built-in limits on where they can be used, sometimes excluding entire categories like travel, gaming, or recurring billing.
• Corporate or purchasing card limited to specific vendor types. Employer-configured cards frequently restrict spending to approved categories and will decline anything outside that scope.
• HSA or FSA card at a non-qualifying merchant. Healthcare spending accounts are governed by IRS eligibility rules. Use at a non-medical merchant returns a restriction decline.
• Bank security policy blocking high-risk merchant categories. Some banks automatically restrict their cards from processing at merchant categories with elevated fraud or chargeback rates.
• Card issued in a restricted geographic region. Cards issued in certain countries or regions may carry built-in restrictions that limit where they can be used internationally.

Is Decline Code 62 a Hard or Soft Decline?

Code 62 is a hard decline. The restriction is set at the issuing bank level and neither the merchant nor the payment processor has any ability to override it. Retrying the transaction will produce the same result.

The only path to resolution is the cardholder contacting their bank to request that the restriction be lifted or modified. Some restrictions can be changed with a phone call. Others are permanent features of the card product and can't be removed at all.

How Merchants Should Respond to Decline Code 62

1. Do not retry. The restriction isn't going to clear on its own and running the card again won't produce a different outcome.
2. Let the customer know their card has a restriction for this transaction. Keep it straightforward: "It looks like your card has a restriction that's preventing this transaction. Do you have another payment method you'd like to try?" No need to speculate on what the restriction is.
3. Ask for an alternate payment method. A personal card without the same restrictions, a digital wallet, a bank transfer, or cash will typically work where the restricted card won't.

Suggest the cardholder call their bank if they think it's an error. If the customer believes their card should work for this type of purchase, their bank is the only one who can confirm or lift the restriction.

Frequently Asked Questions About Decline Code 62

What types of cards most often trigger decline code 62? HSA and FSA cards are among the most frequent since federal rules restrict them to qualifying medical expenses. Corporate and fleet cards are also common because employers often configure tight category controls. Prepaid and gift cards round out the list, as many are issued with built-in restrictions on merchant categories or transaction types.

Can a merchant fix a code 62 decline on their end? In most cases, no. The restriction comes from the issuing bank and sits at the account level. One exception worth checking: if a merchant's MCC is miscategorized, transactions that should be permitted may return a 62. If you're seeing consistent 62 declines from a specific card type that should work at your business, it's worth verifying your merchant category code with your processor.

Does code 62 mean my card is blocked permanently? Not necessarily. Some restrictions are adjustable and can be lifted with a call to the bank. Geographic blocks, for example, can often be temporarily removed for travel. Others are permanent features of the card product, like the IRS rules governing HSA cards, and can't be changed regardless of what the cardholder requests. The bank is the only one who can clarify which applies.

How is code 62 different from code 57? They're closely related and easy to confuse. Both involve restrictions at the account level rather than a funds issue. The distinction is subtle: code 57 typically signals that the transaction type itself is not permitted for the cardholder's account, while code 62 more specifically points to a restriction on the card, such as geographic limitations or card-level usage rules. In practice the merchant response is the same for both.

Related Decline Codes

Code 62 sits in the permissions and restrictions category. These related codes cover adjacent scenarios:

• Code 57 — Transaction Not Permitted to Cardholder. Closely related. A permission issue at the account level rather than a card-level restriction.
• Code 05 — Do Not Honor. The catch-all decline. No specific reason given by the bank.
• Code 51 — Insufficient Funds. A balance issue, not a restriction. The card is valid, the funds just need to catch up.
• Code 59 — Suspected Fraud. The bank flagged the transaction for fraud rather than a restriction.
• Code 61 — Exceeds Withdrawal Limit. A velocity or spending limit issue, separate from card-level restrictions.
• Code 41 — Lost Card. Hard decline. Card was reported lost. Do not retry.
• Code 43 — Stolen Card. Hard decline. Card was reported stolen. Do not retry.

Code 54 — Expired Card. The card's expiration date has passed. Customer needs an updated card.