Restricted Card
A Restricted Card decline means the issuer has placed a specific limitation on this card — such as a geographic usage restriction, sanctions screening flag, or card-program limitation — unrelated to available funds or general fraud suspicion. Some variants instruct the merchant to retain the physical card.
Decline code by card network
| Card network | Code | Network's wording |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | 62 | Restricted Card |
| Visa | 36 | Restricted Card — Pick Up |
| Mastercard | 62 | Restricted Card |
| Mastercard | 36 | Restricted Card — Pick Up |
Common causes
- The card is restricted to use within a specific country or region and the transaction originated outside it.
- The card is subject to sanctions or watch-list screening tied to the cardholder, merchant, or transaction location.
- The card belongs to a limited-use program (e.g. a corporate, government, or gift card product) that restricts certain merchant types or transaction channels.
What merchants should do
- If the response includes a pickup instruction, follow your acquirer's documented procedure for card retention rather than improvising.
- Advise the customer to contact their issuer directly, since only the issuer can explain and lift the specific restriction.
- Offer an alternative payment method so the sale isn't lost while the restriction is investigated.
How to prevent this
- For cross-border merchants, clearly disclose accepted card types and regions at checkout to set expectations.
- Avoid retrying the same restricted card repeatedly, as retries won't override an issuer-level restriction.
- Monitor restricted-card decline rates by geography to identify markets where cardholder restrictions are common.
Because the “pick up” variant carries real operational and legal implications for in-person merchants, staff should be trained in advance on their processor’s specific retention policy rather than relying on judgment in the moment.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Restricted Card decline always mean the card was reported stolen?
No. It can reflect a routine program limitation, such as a card that only works domestically or a corporate card restricted from certain merchant categories, not necessarily theft or fraud.
What should I do if the response tells me to pick up the card?
Follow your acquirer's card-retention procedure exactly. Never physically confront or detain a customer — most processors advise against attempting to retain a card in person for staff safety reasons.