TABLE OF CONTENTS
If you accept payments, sometimes when you run a credit or debit card, you will come across an R0 error code. Completing a payment for a purchase is a pretty straightforward process for both the merchant and the customer. Most transactions go through smoothly so you can close the sale and help the next customer. But every once in a while, credit card transactions fail. When this happens, the terminal will return one of many error, hold, or decline codes. R1 and R0 error codes relate to recurring payments. Read on to learn what decline codes R1 and R0 mean and how to clear them for your customers.
So You Got an R0 or R1 Error Code, Now What?
One of the many error codes you may receive when doing business is R0 or R1. The R1 error code and R0 error code are typically related to system issues. While these error codes are more common with online payments, it’s possible you may come across one in person.
When you get the decline code R1, it means your client or customer prohibited your recurring payment. The further description says that the customer has forbidden the card issuer to allow recurring payments from you. You should stop charging the payment method immediately to avoid chargebacks.
What is an Error Code?
When payment cannot go through, a corresponding code, known as an error code, will be sent to the merchant as a response. The transaction could have failed for several different reasons. It could come from a problem with the customer’s credit, your merchant processor, or even a poor internet connection.
It would be impossible to know the reason for the failure without receiving this error code. You can think of this error code as a key that tells you the possible reason the transaction has failed. Knowing what the error code means will help find potential solutions to fix the problem.
Fixing the problem is a win for the customer, who gets to leave your store with their intended purchase. It’s also a benefit to you as the merchant who can complete the sale. The complete list of error codes is quite long. Your merchant service provider should have given you a reference guide with the different codes and their meanings. Keep this valuable information easily accessible for when you need to use it.
How to Resolve R0 or Decline Code R1
An R0 error code or R1 error code stops recurring payments from going through. If you offer a subscription model service to the customer, you should immediately cancel the recurring schedule. This will avoid future chargebacks from occurring.
After doing this, reach out to the customer to discuss how they would like to move forward. They may have mistakenly told their card issuer to stop recurring payments from you. In this case, your customer will need to contact their card issuer and remove this block to continue using the existing card. Otherwise, the customer can update their card details or change their payment type to resume recurring payments.
