If you are using your card for transit, you may encounter specific codes or behaviors due to how transit terminals process payments.
Account Status Inquiry Service: If you see a decline or a transaction line item with this reason, please note that this is not an actual charge. It is a "validity check" performed by the merchant's system to verify that your card is valid before running a real payment.
Offline Data Authentication (ODA) & Delayed Transactions: Many underground transit systems operate in areas without immediate internet or network access. These terminals use ODA.
How it works: Your card's EMV chip has built-in security codes that prove to the terminal that the card is genuine, allowing the transaction to go through even if there isn't immediate network access.
Why this matters: Because the terminal accepts the payment "offline," the actual transaction may not appear on your account until hours or days later when the terminal reconnects to the network.
Declines: To reduce risk, banks limit how many offline transactions can occur in a row. If you have reached this limit, the card may decline until it can be used at a terminal with a live network connection to "reset" the security check.
Updated: