95
Terminal Verification ResultsA 5-byte status word recording the outcome of the terminal checks during a transaction: offline data authentication, card/terminal compatibility, cardholder verification, terminal risk management, and issuer script processing. Compared against the Terminal Action Codes and Issuer Action Codes to decide approve / decline / go online.
If a transaction went somewhere you did not expect, tag 95 is where you look first. The Terminal Verification Results is the running record of everything the terminal noticed while processing the transaction: five bytes, each byte a category of check, each bit a specific finding. It is produced by the terminal, not the card, and it accumulates as the transaction proceeds.
The five bytes divide cleanly. Byte 1 is offline data authentication — whether it ran at all, and whether SDA, DDA or CDA failed. Byte 2 is card and terminal compatibility: version mismatch, expired application, service not allowed, new card. Byte 3 covers cardholder verification, including the PIN cases that generate the most support tickets — PIN try limit exceeded, PIN required with no working pinpad, PIN required but not entered. Byte 4 is terminal risk management: floor limit exceeded, consecutive offline limits, random selection for online processing, merchant forcing the transaction online. Byte 5 covers issuer authentication and script processing.
Two properties of the TVR matter more than any individual bit. First, the bits are sticky: once the terminal sets one it stays set for the rest of the transaction, so the TVR is a cumulative log rather than a snapshot of the current state. Second, and this is the one that surprises people, a non-zero TVR is not a decline. The TVR is meaningless on its own — it acquires meaning only when it is matched against the Terminal Action Codes and the Issuer Action Codes (Denial, Online, Default). A bit that is set but matched by no action code changes nothing about the outcome.
That is why "the TVR is not zero, why was it approved?" is usually the wrong question. The right one is which action code, if any, matches the bits that are set. Take 0000048000, a value you will see constantly in the field: byte 3 bit 3 says online PIN was entered, and byte 4 bit 8 says the transaction exceeded the floor limit. Nothing failed. That is simply a normal transaction that went online because it was above the floor limit and used online PIN — exactly what the terminal was configured to do.
Properties
| Tag | 95 |
|---|---|
| Name | Terminal Verification Results |
| Format | Binary |
| Length | 5 bytes |
| Source | Terminal |
| Templates | 77, 80 |
| Books | Book 3 |
Bit-by-bit breakdown
| Byte | Bit | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Offline data authentication was not performed |
| 1 | 7 | SDA failed |
| 1 | 6 | ICC data missing |
| 1 | 5 | Card appears on terminal exception file |
| 1 | 4 | DDA failed |
| 1 | 3 | CDA failed |
| 1 | 2 | SDA selected |
| 1 | 1 | RFU (Reserved for Future Use) RFU |
| 2 | 8 | ICC and terminal have different application versions |
| 2 | 7 | Expired application |
| 2 | 6 | Application not yet effective |
| 2 | 5 | Requested service not allowed for card product |
| 2 | 4 | New card |
| 2 | 3 | RFU (Reserved for Future Use) RFU |
| 2 | 2 | RFU (Reserved for Future Use) RFU |
| 2 | 1 | RFU (Reserved for Future Use) RFU |
| 3 | 8 | Cardholder verification was not successful |
| 3 | 7 | Unrecognised CVM |
| 3 | 6 | PIN Try Limit exceeded |
| 3 | 5 | PIN entry required and PIN pad not present or not working |
| 3 | 4 | PIN entry required, PIN pad present, but PIN was not entered |
| 3 | 3 | Online PIN entered |
| 3 | 2 | RFU (Reserved for Future Use) RFU |
| 3 | 1 | RFU (Reserved for Future Use) RFU |
| 4 | 8 | Transaction exceeds floor limit |
| 4 | 7 | Lower consecutive offline limit exceeded |
| 4 | 6 | Upper consecutive offline limit exceeded |
| 4 | 5 | Transaction selected randomly for online processing |
| 4 | 4 | Merchant forced transaction online |
| 4 | 3 | RFU (Reserved for Future Use) RFU |
| 4 | 2 | RFU (Reserved for Future Use) RFU |
| 4 | 1 | RFU (Reserved for Future Use) RFU |
| 5 | 8 | Default TDOL used |
| 5 | 7 | Issuer authentication failed |
| 5 | 6 | Script processing failed before final GENERATE AC |
| 5 | 5 | Script processing failed after final GENERATE AC |
| 5 | 4 | RFU (Reserved for Future Use) RFU |
| 5 | 3 | RFU (Reserved for Future Use) RFU |
| 5 | 2 | RFU (Reserved for Future Use) RFU |
| 5 | 1 | RFU (Reserved for Future Use) RFU |
Decoded example
Example value: 0000048000
- B3·b3Online PIN entered
- B4·b8Transaction exceeds floor limit
Interactive decoder
Paste a hex value for this tag to decode it in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere.
- B3·b3Online PIN entered
- B4·b8Transaction exceeds floor limit
Frequently asked questions
- What is EMV tag 95?
- Tag 95 is the Terminal Verification Results (TVR), a 5-byte bitmap in which the terminal records the outcome of its checks during a transaction: offline data authentication, card and terminal compatibility, cardholder verification, terminal risk management, and issuer authentication or script processing.
- What does TVR mean in EMV?
- TVR stands for Terminal Verification Results. It is the terminal's cumulative record of what it observed while processing the transaction. Each bit is a specific finding, and the bits are sticky: once set, a bit stays set for the remainder of the transaction.
- Does a non-zero TVR mean the transaction was declined?
- No. The TVR only records findings; it does not decide anything by itself. The outcome comes from matching the TVR against the Terminal Action Codes and Issuer Action Codes (Denial, Online, Default). A bit that is set but not matched by any action code has no effect on approval.
- How do I decode a TVR value like 0000048000?
- Read it byte by byte against the bit table. In 0000048000, byte 3 bit 3 indicates online PIN was entered and byte 4 bit 8 indicates the transaction exceeded the floor limit — a normal online transaction, with no failure. Paste your own value into the decoder on this page to resolve every set bit.
Sources
- EMV 4.4 Book 3, Annex C5 (Terminal Verification Results) (page pending verification)
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