Push funds to a debit card via Visa Direct or Mastercard Send and handle response codes

Steps

1. Obtain acquirer BIN sponsorship and Visa Direct or Mastercard Send program enrollment through your sponsor bank or payment facilitator; push-to-card requires a specific MCC and acquirer setup distinct from standard card acceptance
2. Construct the push payment request: include the recipient's 16-digit PAN (or network token), the amount, currency, and the correct transaction type code for your use case (e.g., funds disbursement, earnings, or gambling winnings) — the transaction type determines card network routing and eligibility rules
3. Submit the authorization request via your processor or directly to the Visa or Mastercard network API; receive the authorization response code and, if approved, the transaction ID
4. Check eligibility before sending: not all debit cards accept push payments; use the Visa Fast Funds eligibility check or Mastercard's equivalent to determine whether the card supports the OCT (Original Credit Transaction) and the expected funds availability time
5. Handle decline codes appropriately: common declines include 57 (transaction not permitted to cardholder), 62 (restricted card), and 65 (activity limit exceeded) — retry rules for push-to-card differ from standard purchase declines
6. Reconcile settled OCTs against your disbursement records using the network settlement file; push-to-card settlements appear as credits in your acquirer settlement, not as separate bank wires