Discover Payment Decline Code
Discover Decline Code 43: Stolen Card
Category Fraud or SecurityRetry Guidance Hard Decline (Editorial Classification)By Payment Defender Editorial TeamUpdated July 17, 2026Last reviewed July 17, 2026
What Discover Decline Code 43 Means
Discover decline code 43 (Stolen Card) indicates that the card has been reported stolen.
Where the Response May Come From
Code 43 is returned when the issuer has flagged the card as stolen and will not authorize the transaction. It is an issuer account-status condition that only the bank can address, so its records are the reference.
Common Reasons for This Response
Common causes include a card the cardholder has reported stolen to their bank.
Should the Merchant Retry the Payment?
The transaction will keep failing while the stolen flag stands; a different, valid payment method is needed to complete the purchase.
Recommended Merchant Action
Do not retry the card; ask the customer to use an alternate payment method and to contact their issuing bank about their account.
What to Tell the Customer
Ask the customer to use another card, and let them know they may want to contact their issuing bank about their account.
How to Reduce Similar Payment Failures
Identifying responses like code 43 quickly helps you move customers to a valid payment method without repeated attempts on a blocked card.
Important Limitations
Decline-code meanings vary by processor, gateway, and payment environment, and issuers do not always disclose the specific reason behind a response. The retry classification on this page is Payment Defender editorial guidance, not an official network rule. Merchants should confirm handling with their processor or gateway.
Related Decline Codes
Sources and Review Information
Last reviewed July 17, 2026
Raw network-response codes are supplemental to the complete processor or gateway response. Meanings and recommended actions can vary by issuer, processor, gateway, card network, payment method, region, and merchant configuration.