Response Received Too Late (Timeout)
A "Response Received Too Late" (timeout) decline occurs when the issuer's authorization response didn't arrive within the card network's required timeframe, so the transaction was automatically declined. It usually reflects a temporary network, connectivity, or system performance issue rather than any problem with the cardholder's account, and often succeeds on retry.
Decline code by card network
| Card network | Code | Network's wording |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | 68 | Response Received Too Late |
| Mastercard | 68 | Response Received Too Late |
Common causes
- The issuer's authorization system was experiencing high load or a temporary outage, delaying its response.
- Network congestion or a routing issue between the acquirer, network, and issuer delayed message delivery.
- The issuer's system was undergoing maintenance or a batch process that slowed real-time responses.
What merchants should do
- Retry the transaction shortly after the timeout, since most timeouts are transient and resolve on a second attempt.
- Avoid submitting multiple duplicate authorizations in rapid succession while waiting, as this can cause duplicate holds if the original request eventually completes.
- If timeouts are frequent, check with your processor whether there's a known network or issuer-side performance issue.
How to prevent this
- Configure your gateway or terminal to use appropriate timeout thresholds and automatic single retries for this specific response.
- Monitor timeout rates by issuer to spot systemic issuer-side performance problems.
- Maintain reliable, redundant network connectivity for your POS or e-commerce checkout to minimize merchant-side contributions to timeouts.
Timeouts sit at the intersection of network performance and issuer system health, and a sudden increase across many transactions often indicates a broader, temporary outage rather than an issue specific to any one merchant or card. Reconciling pending authorizations after a wave of timeouts helps catch any duplicate charges.
Frequently asked questions
Was the customer's card actually declined?
Not necessarily — a timeout means the issuer's response simply didn't arrive in time, not that the issuer refused the transaction. Retrying often succeeds because the underlying account may be perfectly fine.
Could retrying cause the customer to be charged twice?
It's possible if the original, slow-to-respond authorization eventually completes after you've already submitted a new one, so it's good practice to check for duplicate authorizations before retrying multiple times.