Skip to content
SchemeLens

ISO 8583:1987 response code

03

Invalid merchant

Standard version
ISO 8583:1987
Paired version code
ISO 8583:1993 · 109

In ISO 8583:1987, response code 03 means “Invalid merchant”. It is paired here with ISO 8583:1993 response code 109, “Invalid merchant”. All five reviewed scheme sources contain a corresponding entry on this comparison row.

Merchant handling

Actions to be taken

Do not complete the transaction. Ask for corrected payment details or another payment method, and submit a new authorization only when the cause has been resolved and the acquirer’s rules allow it.

This is conservative merchant guidance derived from the published response meaning. Current scheme, acquirer, processor, merchant advice, and transaction-specific rules take precedence.

Scheme comparison

Descriptions in the reviewed sources

Each populated value links to its scheme record and preserves the raw code published by that source. N/A means no matching description exists in the reviewed public dataset.

Scheme descriptions compared with ISO 8583:1987 response code 03
SchemeRaw codeSource descriptionEvidence
Visa03Invalid merchantOfficial
Mastercard03Invalid merchantOfficial, limited scope
American Express109Invalid merchantSecondary source
Discover03Invalid merchantSecondary source
UnionPay03Invalid merchantOfficial, limited scope

Standard sources

Version and response-name evidence