Visa Payment Decline Code
Visa Decline Code 04: Pick Up Card
Category Card or Account StatusRetry Guidance Hard Decline (Editorial Classification)By Payment Defender Editorial TeamUpdated July 17, 2026Last reviewed July 17, 2026
What Visa Decline Code 04 Means
Visa response code 04 instructs the merchant to retain the physical card. The issuer has flagged the account and asked that the card be picked up, typically in a card-present setting.
Where the Response May Come From
This Visa response comes from the issuing bank's authorization systems, and reflects an account the issuer has flagged with instructions to retain the card.
Common Reasons for This Response
The issuer may have flagged the account for risk, reported the card as compromised, or applied an account-level restriction that calls for the card to be collected.
Should the Merchant Retry the Payment?
Treat this as a hard decline: an account the issuer has flagged with instructions to retain the card generally must change at the issuer or cardholder level first, so resubmitting the same card is unlikely to succeed and may be discouraged.
Recommended Merchant Action
Because this decline reflects an account the issuer has flagged with instructions to retain the card, ask the customer to use a different card or contact their bank, since the account status must change first.
What to Tell the Customer
Ask the customer to use another card or contact their bank.
How to Reduce Similar Payment Failures
Tracking how often an account the issuer has flagged with instructions to retain the card appears by issuer and BIN can help you prompt customers to update card details and apply account-updater data.
Important Limitations
Decline-code meanings vary by processor, gateway, and payment environment, and issuers may not disclose the precise reason behind this 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.