transaction from token fail via api but succeed via authdotnet website

[kdhcio]

Any ideas why a charge transaction for the same token and same amount would fail via the API but succeed via the Authorize.net website ?  When it failed via the API, it had an auth code of '000000' and a declined description of 'contact issuing bank'.

[Lilith]

@kdhcio It's difficult to provide a straight answer, admittedly, because card issuers may decline cards for pretty much any reason they deem appropriate.

It's not uncommon for an issuer to have a system that evaluates a transaction based on factors such as the origin of the transaction and whether the transaction fits into the cardholder's typical spending patterns.

For example, if a cardholder had experienced fraud that originated overseas, the card issuer may block all transactions that originate from a non-US IP address. Alternately, there might be a block for e-commerce transactions, but not for retail or mail order/telephone order transactions.

To reduce the likelihood of card processing abuse and fraud, most card issuers do not elaborate on why they decided to authorize or decline a charge. But if the bank has a reason other than fund availability to decline, they will typically recommend that you call the bank directly, if you have the card present, or to call a voice authorization center to confirm the transaction manually.

It's not unusual that the Virtual Terminal worked where your integration failed, but without specifics about the transactions you ran, we can only explain the process. If you are encountering an issue such as seeing all API transactions fail, I recommend contacting Merchant Support at 877-447-3938, and provide your Gateway ID and transaction IDs so we can look deeper.

[kdhcio]

I called support before posting here.  they were not helpful. they simply said "call issuing bank".

my concern is, if the actual transaction is via Authorize.net  (whether the website or API) - shouldn't the results be the same ?

[Lilith]

@kdhcio -- No, that's my point. To clarify, without knowing exactly how you submitted your API request, we can't tell you how it might differ from your Virtual Terminal transaction. They won't necessarily be identical requests, and the card issuer can easily reject one while allowing another. That is why the payment card industry has the standard "call issuer" decline in the first place.