Credit card payment Error Code Practical Guide|Explanation of Causes, User Guidance, and Approval Rate Improvement

"I received another inquiry about an error......"

If you are a customer support (CS) on an e-commerce site, you may have encountered this situation. Responding to inquiries from users asking "why can't I do payment" can be said to be one of the most frequent tasks for CS personnel.

In this article, we will organize the causes and backgrounds of typical Credit card payment error codes displayed in the "PG Multi-Payment Service" of the GMO Payment Gateway (hereinafter referred to as "GMO-PG" in an easy-to-understand manner, and also present "email templates for users" that can be used in practice. In addition, "authorization to prevent cart drops (departures) that cannot be prevented by individual on-site response alone. We will also explain in detail the approach of "improving approval rates".

First of all, you need to know why you can't tell me the "error code" of Credit card payment and the details

Credit card payment Basic Mechanism of "Error Codes"

If the Credit card payment is not completed for any reason on an online payment such as an e-commerce site, an alphanumeric code starting with an alphabet will be displayed on the management screen of the PSP (payment processing company company) or other place. PG Multi-Payment Service displays codes starting with "G" as an error for the Credit card payment approval decision.

This code is a status code that communicates to the merchant (e-commerce site operator) through the payment processing company company (PSP) why the company that issued the credit card (issuer) did not approve the payment processing (authorization settlement).

This is where many CS personnel stumble upon the dilemma of "I know the error is G30, but I don't know why it was judged G30 or the specific reason."

The reason why I can't tell you the detailed reason is because "it's like that in terms of mechanism"

Even if a user strongly asks you to tell me why, there is a clear reason why you can't answer. This is because the detailed reason for the error is not disclosed by the card company (issuer) to the merchant.

For example, the admin screen displays "G30 (Pending): Card Carrier authorization Error". However, individual circumstances such as "because the usage limit was just close", "because the security lock was applied at a high payment in the middle of the night", or "because it was similar to past fraud patterns", will not be sent as data to the merchant.

This mechanism is a rule established throughout the credit card industry from the perspective of protecting the personal information and privacy of cardholders and leaking information to malicious third parties (a measure to prevent fraud hints).

In other words, the reason why the CS person in charge "can't tell you the detailed reason" is not because there is a lack of consideration for users, or because the information is not provided to the e-commerce business due to the security structureIt is. By sharing this premise firmly within the CS team, psychological hurdles when dealing with users can be reduced. Even if you ask "Why don't you tell me?", you will be able to calmly tell them, "It is not disclosed to our company because it is related to personal credit information."

Quick chart of common G-codes (Causes, response policies, and alert levels)

First, let's take a look at the list of typical error codes that are likely to lead to inquiries. Please share it within your team and use it as a "quick chart" so that you can refer to it immediately when you receive an inquiry.

Please note that these error codes starting with G are classified based on the content returned by the credit card company. Some card companies may return error codes that are different from the guidelines, but in any case, it will be the decision of the card company. If you want to know the reason for the error code starting with "G", you will need to contact your credit card company.

You can find the error code in PG Multi-Payment Service here

[How to read and perceive the alert level]

• Normal:Mainly due to typing errors or temporary lack of balance. Users only need to re-enter their information or change it to a different payment method, and most cases will be resolved smoothly.
• Note:If you need to contact your card company directly to confirm the situation, or there may be a system failure. In order to make users spend time and effort, careful consideration is required in the choice of words for guidance.
• Be vigilant:The card company is rejecting the transaction with "clear intent". If it occurs in a single incident, there is no problem with the usual alternative guidance, but if it occurs continuously from the same IP address for a short period of time, it may be the target of a fraud such as a credit master attack, and it is necessary to share it internally as soon as possible.

Background of errors (G12 and G30) with frequent inquiries and tips for dealing with them

Among the many error codes, we will explain what is happening behind the scenes of errors that are likely to be directly related to inquiries, and tips for dealing with them. By understanding the background of "why this happens", you will be overwhelmingly persuasive and relaxed in your explanations to users.

G12 (not available): Calm if it is a single shot, escalate immediately if it occurs continuously.

▶ What's happening

The card company has expressed its intention (refused) with a clear reason that "transactions with this card cannot be approved". This can be due to a variety of reasons, such as entering old card information that has expired, a card that has already been reported as lost or stolen, or a contract issue with your card company.

▶ Key points of response

If the error occurs only once in the normal purchasing flow, you can politely guide them to change to a different payment method.

However, what CS personnel should be most wary of is cases where dozens or hundreds of G12 and G65 (card number errors) occur in a short period of time from "email addresses with unnatural strings" or "identical IP addresses"is. This is a condition where a malicious third party is likely to be targeted by a "credit master attack" in which a malicious third party uses a malicious program to automatically and continuously enter a randomly generated card number to find a valid card number.

When you discover a suspicious serial error, it is recommended that you do not overlook it at your own discretion, andpromptly share (escalate) the situation with the internal system department or the person in charge of e-commerce operations, and establish operational rules in advance to check for unauthorized access. Early detection at the site is an important point to prevent large-scale damage.

G30 (Pending Judgment): Increased frequency of occurrence and "temporary security restrictions"

▶ What's happening

G30 is an error code that CS departments are likely to face when operating an e-commerce website. This is a state in which the advanced fraud detection system (AI, etc.) introduced by the credit card company comprehensively scores multiple factors such as "unusual purchase patterns", "purchases of highly convertible products (game consoles, gift certificates, branded products, etc.)", and "sudden changes in the location and time of payment use", and "temporarily suspends (stops)" for safety reasons.

In recent years, the credit card industry as a whole has raised security standards significantly in response to increased damage such as phishing scams. Therefore, even if a genuine user is shopping normally, there are cases where a temporary lock is applied as a false positive.

▶ Key points of response

Users who face G30 feel that they have been rejected by this store (e-commerce site) or are on the blacklist, and are in a psychological state where they are prone to distrust and anger towards the site.

Therefore, the first and most important thing to tell is the nuance that "it is likely that our e-commerce site did not reject you, but that the security features of the card company were activated to protect you from fraud in person."

If you contact the credit card company's support desk and say that this is your legitimate use, the lock will often be unlocked and you can payment it again.

One of the other important things is how smoothly you can direct them to another payment method (another credit card, CVS Payment, Pay, Bank transfer, etc.)It is. Since it is the biggest key to reducing the burden on users and preventing lost purchase opportunities (abandoned carts), do not just communicate the fact that you were unable to payment, but be sure to clearly state an alternative lead that says, "If it is another payment method, we can proceed immediately."

[Copy and paste OK] "Reply to inquiry" template collection from users

When a user inquires about "I don't think I can use my card, but I want you to tell me why", it is important to sincerely explain the aforementioned "mechanism in which details are not disclosed to merchants" and encourage them to take the next action (separate payment or contact the card company).

Below we have prepared three templates that can be used as immediate replies in the field. Please adjust it accordingly to your company's brand tone and manners, and take advantage of it.

Template (1): payment error when placing a new order (general-purpose, G30 compatible, etc.)

This is a standard and versatile reply when you inquire about the most frequent and hard-to-determine cases (such as G30). Give users peace of mind and encourage them to check with their card provider and move to a different payment method.

Subject: Re: About the error of Credit card payment (○○ shop)

Mr. ○○

Thank you very much for using ○○ Shop. This is [Name of Person in charge] from ○○ Shop Customer Support.

Regarding the error of the Credit card payment you inquired about, we checked our system, and we are very sorry, but we have not received payment approval from the credit card company and we have not been able to complete the procedure.

The reasons for the payment are that the expiration date has been renewed, the status of available quotas, etc., and the possibility that the credit card company's security lock has been automatically activated to prevent fraud by a third party.

We apologize for the inconvenience, but due to the personal information protection mechanism, the detailed reason why the payment was not completed will not be disclosed by the credit card company to our store. Therefore, we are sorry that we cannot tell Mr. ○○ the reason for the suspension.

We apologize for the inconvenience, but for detailed reasons and to lift security restrictions, please contact the credit card company's inquiry desk directly on the back of your credit card.

If you are in a hurry, can you use a different credit card or use another payment method such as CVS Payment or PayPay (*Please change to the payment method name provided on the actual site) to complete the order again?

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding that this is an important mechanism for our customers to use safely.

○○Shop Customer Support [Phone Number / Reception Hours]

Template (2): Auto-renewal error in subscription (subscription)

This is the reply text when we receive an inquiry from a user who was unable to make an automatic debit on the recurring payment of each month. Considering the user's feelings, "renewing the expiration date" is the first reason to smoothly guide you to update your card information on My Page.

Subject: Re: Regular Delivery payment ・About Debit Error

Mr. ○○

Thank you very much for always using our regular courses. We will inform you about the withdrawal of the regular service you inquired about.

When I charged my registered credit card for the next shipment, I was very sorry, but the credit card company did not approve it, and it was an payment error.

It seems that your currently registered card is unavailable for some reason, such as card renewal due to credit card expiration or availability status. (Please note that the detailed reason will not be disclosed to our store by the credit card company.)

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but when we proceed with the shipping arrangements for the product, can you please "re-register new credit card information" or "change to another payment method" from the following My Page?

▼Click here to change My Page payment information [My Page URL]

If we can confirm the procedure by ○ month ○ (○), we will ship the product as usual.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reply to this email. Thank you for your continued patronage of our store.

○○Shop Customer Support [Phone Number / Reception Hours]

Template (3): If you want to strongly recommend another payment method, such as a high-value product

This is an example of a reply sentence when you want to immediately direct a customer to a reliable method such as Bank transfer rather than waiting for the card company to contact them in a product that is prone to frequent security errors (home appliances, digital content, etc.).

Subject: Re: About the Credit card payment error in your order (XXXXXX)

Mr. ○○

Thank you very much for your inquiry. This is [Name of Person in charge] from ○○ Shop Customer Support.

When I checked ○○'s order (order number: XXXXXX), I went through the payment procedure with the designated credit card, but it was not approved by the credit card company's security system, and it was an error.

In recent years, from the perspective of preventing credit card fraud, security standards have become very strict at each credit card company, and there have been cases where temporary restrictions are imposed even on the use of credit cards.

We are very frustrated that we are unable to investigate the detailed cause of the payment error, but if you are in a hurry and want the product, please place another order using another payment method, such as [Bank transfer] or [CVS Payment].

▼Click here to reorder in a different payment way [Product page URL]

In addition, the order data that became an error this time will be canceled at our store. Please be assured that there will be no charges for customers.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.

○○Shop Customer Support [Phone Number / Reception Hours]

There is a limit to the efforts of the field alone - the perspective of "authorization approval rate" that affects profits

So far, we have introduced direct guidance methods and templates to solve the problems faced by CS personnel in the field and be close to users. Polite communication is an important bulwark to alleviate users' anxiety and frustration and encourage them to repurchase (recover) on another payment method.

However, from a higher perspective of maximizing the profits of the entire business, operations in which CS personnel continue to respond individually to each error not only increases man-hours but also means repeated lost opportunities. What I want you to be aware of here is the important indicator of "authorization approval rate".

authorization Approval rate refers to the percentage of Credit card payment total authorization requests that were made on your e-commerce site that were "approved" by your card company. A decrease in this number means that not only does the number of CS man-hours increase, but the final sales opportunity itself continues to be lost (cart dropouts are occurring).

[Impact of lost opportunities due to declining approval rates]

For example, on an e-commerce site with monthly sales of 100 million yen, if the "authorization approval rate", which is the final gateway of the payment funnel, decreases by 1%, the following losses will occur.

Monthly opportunity loss:Monthly sales of 100 million yen × 1% (0.01) =1 million yen

Opportunity losses of 12 million yen occur per year. In addition, once a user drops out of their basket, there is a high possibility that they will be transferred to a competitor's site, so from the perspective of LTV (customer lifetime value), the amount of loss is more than calculated.

Related Article:What is authorization Approval Rate? The funnel from cart to payment completion and 3 improvement steps to maximize profits

The situation of "I feel that there has been an increase in inquiries about G30 errors recently" and "I feel that there are many cart drops on the payment screen" is actually beyond the phase of solving it only with on-site CS response efforts, and it may be a sign that the entire payment funnel of the e-commerce site needs to be significantly reviewed.

3 systematic approaches to "prevent errors" and reduce cart abandonment

In parallel with strengthening CS responsiveness with templates, etc., we should work on a drastic approach of "optimizing the payment system itself and reducing the number of errors itself (=authorization improving the approval rate)". Here are three representative measures.

(1) Fallback design (dynamic guidance to another payment method in case of error)

When an error such as G55 (limit exceeded) or G12 (unavailable) is played, if the Credit card payment is simply displayed with an error message screen saying "payment could not be used" and ends with it, the user's desire to purchase (lead) will be completely cut off.

A measure to prevent this is "fallback design". The moment an error is detected, the system automatically dynamically displays an alternative payment method button on the screen, such as PayPay, Amazon Pay, or CVS Payment. This allows users to seamlessly direct users to another payment method without missing out on the e-commerce site. Before relying on the CS personnel's individual email response, the system is one of the effective means to automatically recover sales.

(2) "Operational optimization" of EMV 3-D secure (reduction of G30 errors)

Many security-induced payment errors such as G30 (pending decision) are caused by excessive activation of security locks by card companies that are wary of fraud. Currently, the introduction of "EMV 3-D Secure (3D Secure)" in Credit card payment is a major premise, but it is also true that there are inquiries that "genuine users are rejected by false judgments".

These issues may be remedied by reviewing the operations and integration data after 3D Secure implementation. 3D Secure performs risk-based authentication in which the card company makes real-time judgments based on data at the time of the payment (device information, delivery destination, purchase history, etc.). The key to this is "operational optimization", which is to tune the parameters so that more detailed order data is sent from the payment system to the card company.

By refining the transmission data according to the company's products and customer base, it will be easier for the card company to accurately determine that this user is safe. As a result, it is easier to increase the rate of smoothly completing payment without additional authentication such as password entry, and reduce cart abandonment due to excessive blocking. 3D Secure is not the end of the introduction, andcontinuing to "tune the pass rate" is the key to improving the authorization approval rate.

Reference article:What is the cause of "falling basket"? The relationship between EMV 3-D Secure (3D Secure 2.0) and authorization approval rates

(3) account update (Revision) Utilization of the Service (Prevention of Expiration Errors)

In recurring payment businesses such as subscriptions, cancellations (involuntary churn) are triggered by card expiration errors. There are many cases where the service expires without the user realizing it, resulting in a payment error and the service is suspended.

This can be solved, for example, by utilizing the "automatic account update" provided by GMO-PG. The system works with the card company to automatically update the latest expiration date and card number information, eliminating the hassle of asking users to complete the change procedure on My Page and preventing errors themselves.

payment If you want to optimize your environment, you can use "PG Multi-Payment Service"

Behind the error codes lined up on the admin screen are the strict security standards of card companies and the anxiety of users who are confused by them. First of all, please share the knowledge and guidance templates introduced in this article within the CS team to help you deal with users and reduce the psychological burden on the person in charge from tomorrow.

On the other hand, if you are facing issues such as "the number of inquiries about G30 errors is increasing too much, putting pressure on CS man-hours", "sales are sluggish due to cart dropouts due to errors", or "you want to implement multiple payment method at once to make a fallback", you need to systematically review the entire payment funnel.

If you feel that you are facing such a challenge, please consult with GMO-PG, an online payment professional.

The online payment" PG Multi-Payment Service" provided by GMO-PG is a service that allows you to introduce and manage not only Credit card payment, but also various payment payments, CVS Payment, etc. in one go. Facilitate the deployment of multiple payment method that serve as fallback conductors in the event of an error and minimize cart dropout. We can also provide the best solution for your business model, such as combining fraud prevention such as 3D Secure with improving authorization approval rates, and automatic account update functions to maximize LTV for subscribers.

*The information in this article is current at the time of writing. The specifications of error codes and the response policies for each feature may vary depending on the payment system you are using and your card company. Please check the official documentation of each system for the latest information.