What restrictions cause a code 62 decline?

Geographic blocks and category limits, most commonly. The issuer or cardholder has fenced the card into certain countries or merchant types, and your transaction crossed the fence, often because of where your payment processor is located.

Why does a US customer get code 62 on my US-facing website?

If your processing runs through a foreign acquirer, the customer's bank sees a cross-border transaction regardless of where the customer sits. Cards with international blocks decline it. The customer can authorize foreign transactions, or you can route their bank's cards domestically.

Decline code · Soft decline

Decline code 62: Restricted Card

The card carries a restriction that this transaction violates. Classic triggers are geography, such as a card blocked from foreign or embargoed countries, and category limits on where the card may be used. The card works normally inside its permitted boundaries and refuses everything outside them.

Should you retry?

A retry through the same route usually re-triggers the same restriction, so change something first: the customer lifts their geo-block, or you route through an acquirer the restriction does not cover. Visa lists 62 among retry-permitted codes, so reattempts after such a change are compliant and often effective.

Why code 62 happens

The transaction originates from or routes through a country the issuer blocks, including sanctioned jurisdictions and regions with high fraud rates.
The cardholder enabled travel or region locks and your acquirer's country falls outside the allowed zone.
The card is restricted to certain merchant categories, as with benefits cards, fleet cards, and some prepaid products.
The issuer geo-blocks card-not-present transactions acquired outside the cardholder's home country by default.

What to do about it

Ask the customer whether their card has travel or international blocks enabled, and have them authorize foreign transactions in their banking app if your acquiring is offshore.
Check where 62 declines concentrate: by issuer country against acquirer country, which reveals geographic blocks, or by BIN product type, which reveals category restrictions.
Route affected issuers' traffic through an acquirer in or near the cardholder's region if your setup allows it.
Accept an alternate card or payment method when the restriction is structural to the card product.

Frequently asked questions

What restrictions cause a code 62 decline?: Geographic blocks and category limits, most commonly. The issuer or cardholder has fenced the card into certain countries or merchant types, and your transaction crossed the fence, often because of where your payment processor is located.
Why does a US customer get code 62 on my US-facing website?: If your processing runs through a foreign acquirer, the customer's bank sees a cross-border transaction regardless of where the customer sits. Cards with international blocks decline it. The customer can authorize foreign transactions, or you can route their bank's cards domestically.

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