Discover Payment Decline Code
Discover Decline Code 57: Transaction Not Permitted to Issuer or Cardholder
Category Transaction RestrictionsRetry Guidance Hard Decline (Editorial Classification)By Payment Defender Editorial TeamUpdated July 17, 2026Last reviewed July 17, 2026
What Discover Decline Code 57 Means
Discover decline code 57 (Transaction Not Permitted to Issuer or Cardholder) indicates that the transaction type is not permitted for this issuer or cardholder.
Where the Response May Come From
Code 57 means the issuer does not permit this type of transaction for the cardholder's account. It is an issuer restriction on the account, so the issuer's rules and the processor response are the reference.
Common Reasons for This Response
Common causes include account-level restrictions or transaction types the cardholder is not permitted to perform.
Should the Merchant Retry the Payment?
Retrying the same transaction type returns code 57 again because the restriction sits on the account; a different transaction type or card is needed.
Recommended Merchant Action
Confirm whether the transaction type is allowed for the account, and otherwise ask the customer to use a different card or contact their bank.
What to Tell the Customer
Let the customer know that type of transaction is not permitted on their card and suggest another card or contacting their bank.
How to Reduce Similar Payment Failures
Reviewing code 57 by transaction type helps identify account-level restrictions that recur so you can guide customers to workable options.
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.