Discover Payment Decline Code
Discover Decline Code 93: Transaction Cannot Be Completed – Violation of Law
Category Transaction RestrictionsRetry Guidance Hard Decline (Editorial Classification)By Payment Defender Editorial TeamUpdated July 17, 2026Last reviewed July 17, 2026
What Discover Decline Code 93 Means
Discover decline code 93 (Transaction Cannot Be Completed – Violation of Law) indicates that the transaction cannot be completed because it would violate applicable law.
Where the Response May Come From
Code 93 means the issuer will not complete the transaction because doing so would violate a legal or regulatory restriction. It is a compliance condition on the account, so the issuer's rules govern it.
Common Reasons for This Response
Common causes include transactions restricted by law or regulation for the account or region.
Should the Merchant Retry the Payment?
Reattempting returns code 93 again while the legal restriction applies; the transaction cannot proceed on that card without the issuer resolving the underlying condition.
Recommended Merchant Action
Do not retry; ask the customer to use a different payment method and, if appropriate, to contact their issuing bank.
What to Tell the Customer
Let the customer know the payment could not be completed on that card and suggest a different payment method.
How to Reduce Similar Payment Failures
Recognizing compliance-driven responses like code 93 helps you route customers to alternate methods instead of retrying a blocked transaction.
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.