generated: '2026-07-23'
method: searched
source: https://docs.highnote.com/docs/issuing/accounts/onboarding/application-denials
description: >-
  Highnote issuing/acquiring denial and decline reasons. Card authorizations can be declined by
  network/issuer response, spend rules, velocity controls, account suspension/delinquency, and
  collaborative-authorization endpoint decisions. Card product applications are denied via the
  ApplicationDenialReason enum, with credit applications carrying more specific AdverseActionCode
  values. Test-environment declines can be triggered via the simulate* mutations.
application_denial:
  field: applicationDenialReason
  enum: ApplicationDenialReason
  appears_on: [AccountHolderCardProductApplication, AuthorizedUserCardProductApplication]
  codes:
    - code: DENIED_DUE_TO_APPLICATION_INACTIVITY
      meaning: Application could not be decisioned within the cardholder-agreement timeframe because required information was missing.
    - code: DENIED_DUE_TO_OTHER
      meaning: Application was denied for another (unspecified) reason.
adverse_action:
  field: adverseActionReasons
  enum: AdverseActionCode
  appears_on: underwritten (credit) applications
  detail: More specific reasons for credit application denials (e.g. UNABLE_TO_VERIFY_CREDIT_REFERENCES). Full list published under Simulate Underwriting Decisions.
  reference: https://docs.highnote.com/docs/issuing/credit/simulations/sim-underwriting-decisions
authorization_declines:
  detail: >-
    Card authorization declines are driven by spend rules (15+ rule types: amount limits, MCC
    restrictions, CVV requirements, merchant-country controls), velocity controls, account
    suspension/delinquency, insufficient/over-limit balance (unless a variance rule applies), and
    real-time collaborative-authorization endpoint declines.
  events:
    - PAYMENT_CARD_AUTHORIZATION_DECLINED
    - PAYMENT_CARD_AUTHORIZATION_AND_CLEAR_DECLINED
    - CARD_PAYMENT_AUTHORIZATION_DECLINED_EVENT
  docs:
    - https://docs.highnote.com/docs/issuing/spend-controls/spend-rules
    - https://docs.highnote.com/docs/issuing/spend-controls/velocity-controls
    - https://docs.highnote.com/docs/issuing/spend-controls/collaborative-authorization
verification_declines:
  detail: 3D Secure verification failures produce declines; simulate in Test.
  simulated_triggers:
    - {network: visa, field: cavvResultCode, value: FAILED, result: INVALID_3DS_VERIFICATION}
    - {network: mastercard, field: aavResultCode, value: AAV_FAILED_VALIDATION, result: INVALID_3DS_VERIFICATION}
  docs: https://docs.highnote.com/docs/issuing/transactions/sim-transactions
notes: >-
  Highnote does not publish a single flat ISO-8583 numeric decline-code table publicly; declines
  are modeled as typed events, spend/velocity rule outcomes, and enum reasons. AVS and CVV
  response codes are surfaced on the Card Transaction Activity Report.