+57 code: What a Code 57 Decline Means and What to Do About It

A code 57 decline means the cardholder's bank refused the transaction: the card is not permitted to make this type of purchase. The decision sits with the issuing bank, not with you and not with your gateway.

Below is what the code tells you, how to handle it at the point of sale, and when a pattern of 57s deserves a closer look at your account.

What Credit Card Decline Code 57 Means

Depending on the card network and the processor, code 57 comes back as "Service Not Allowed" or "Function Not Permitted to Cardholder." The labels differ; the meaning does not. Both say the card is restricted from the type of transaction you just ran.

Nothing about your terminal, your checkout page, or your processor caused the decline. A single code 57 is a restriction on the card itself, not a judgment on your business.

Why the Issuer Returns Code 57

Every card is configured by the bank that issued it. Some cards are limited to certain transaction types, and when a purchase falls outside what the card allows, the issuer declines it and returns code 57. The transaction never reaches a point where you could approve or override it.

That is worth knowing, because it tells you where the fix lives. It lives with the cardholder and their bank.

What to Do When a Customer's Card Returns Code 57

Keep it simple at the point of sale:

• Do not retry the same card. The issuer has already said no to this transaction type, and running it again will not change the answer.
• Ask the customer for an alternate card. A different card is the standard remedy for a 57 response.
• Suggest the customer contact their bank if they believe the card should have worked. Only the issuer can explain or lift the restriction.

That is the whole playbook for a single code 57. It resolves at the counter or on the checkout page, not in your processor dashboard.

Searching for a Different 57?

The number 57 shows up in a few unrelated places, so if you landed here from a search, make sure you have the right one.

+57 as a phone code. +57 is the country calling code for Colombia. To call a Colombian number from abroad, dial your international dialing prefix, then 57, then the local number.

If you are here about a declined card payment, read on.

When Repeated 57 Declines Point to a Bigger Problem

One code 57 is a card-level restriction. A pattern of issuer declines across many customers is something else, and it deserves a closer look at how your account is set up. The transaction types you run, and the merchant category code your business is classified under, shape how issuers see every payment you submit. A mismatch there shows up as declines you did not earn.

If you want to read code 57 alongside the rest of the responses your processor returns, our guide to credit card decline codes covers them in one place.

Get Payments That Hold Up

Declines you cannot explain are frustrating. Declines from your own processor, or an account that gets shut off months after approval, are worse. We work only with businesses that banks and mainstream processors treat as high-risk, so your application is matched to banks that accept your industry rather than submitted broadly and left to chance.

Every fee is disclosed in the merchant service agreement before you sign. If you are ready for a high-risk merchant account that is underwritten properly the first time, apply today.