Service · routing and cascading
Smart routing and cascading
Every deposit goes to the provider most likely to approve it, and a declined one is retried only where it makes sense and stays within card scheme rules.
How it works
Three mechanisms that raise approval rates together.
Routing
Picks the first provider for a deposit by geo, method, BIN, issuing bank, amount and player history.
Cascading
Retries a declined deposit at another provider, but only for declines that are worth retrying.
Health control
If a provider’s approval rate dips or errors spike, traffic is redistributed automatically.
Routing rules
What the scheme is built from for your geos and providers.
Geo and currency
Each market gets its own provider set: one PSP performs better in Canada, another in Germany.
BIN and issuing bank
The same bank approves differently at different acquirers. We route by actual approval rates.
Deposit amount
Large deposits go to the provider with the best approval on high amounts, small ones to the cheaper one.
Sticky routing
A returning player’s deposit goes where the previous one was approved: the bank already “knows” the merchant.
Provider health
A drop in approval rate or a rise in technical errors lowers the provider’s weight until it recovers.
Price
With equal approval rates, traffic goes to the provider with the lower fee.
Which declines to cascade
Not every decline should be retried: some will never be approved by the bank, and excess attempts lead to fines. A typical matrix:
| Code | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
05 | Do not honor — generic issuer decline | ✓Cascade to another acquirer |
91 | Issuer unavailable | ✓Cascade to another provider |
96 | System malfunction | ✓Cascade to another provider |
1A / 65 | Authentication required (SCA, EU) | ✓Retry with 3DS |
51 | Insufficient funds | ↺Don’t cascade: offer a lower amount or another method |
61 | Exceeds card limit | ↺Don’t cascade: lower amount or another method |
57 | Transaction not permitted to cardholder | ↺Don’t cascade: offer another method |
54 | Expired card | ✕Don’t cascade: ask for another card |
14 | Invalid card number | ✕Don’t cascade |
41 / 43 | Lost or stolen card | ✕Never retry |
59 | Suspected fraud | ✕Never retry |
Code meanings differ between Visa, Mastercard and individual acquirers. Visa prohibits retrying declines the issuer will never approve and limits the number of retries per card; Mastercard returns a Merchant Advice Code that states whether a retry is allowed. We build the final matrix from your own statistics and providers.
Cascading after 3DS
If a player has already passed 3DS and the provider declines the payment, retrying at another provider usually requires a new authentication. A second 3DS window is a common reason players abandon a deposit, so we decide when such a cascade is worth it based on amount, decline code and player history.
What we do
We work with both in-house gateways and off-the-shelf solutions.
Specs for an in-house gateway
We describe the routing and cascade logic, sticky routing, cascading after 3DS and routing by decline code, and help you sign off the build.
Configuring a ready gateway
If you use a ready gateway or an orchestrator, we configure the rules in its interface for your providers.
Decline code matrix
Built from your statistics: which declines to cascade at which providers, and which not to.
Measuring the result
A cascade performance dashboard and smart alerting in Telegram or Slack: you see how many deposits the cascade recovered.
How we work
Five steps from the first call to measurable results.
- 1
Intro call
We get to know your situation and goals
- 2
NDA and access
We sign an NDA if needed
- 3
Audit
We find and analyse the issues
- 4
Recommendations
A prioritised plan of changes
- 5
Implementation
We stay with you until the results are in
Pricing that fits your task
Depends on how deep we go into the product (what access you can give us) and which regions we review.
Website, gateway and analytics audit.
Full optimisation cycle with implementation support.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between routing and cascading?
Routing decides which provider a deposit goes to first. Cascading decides what happens after a decline: retry at another provider or not. They work together: good routing reduces declines, cascading recovers part of the rest.
How many providers do you need for cascading?
At least two for cards in each key geo. Ideally they sit on different acquirers: two PSPs on the same acquiring bank often decline the same way.
Can cascading hurt relationships with banks and card schemes?
Not if you follow Visa and Mastercard retry rules and never retry hard declines. Uncontrolled cascading, on the other hand, leads to fines and lowers banks’ trust in the merchant.
Do we need a payment orchestrator?
Not necessarily. Many gateways already have routing that just needs configuring. We don’t sell orchestrators: we compare options for your task, and the choice stays with you.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the task: reviewing current rules is part of an audit from €600; a full cycle with specs, configuration and support typically costs €3,000–4,000.
Other services
Payments audit for iGaming operators: cashier, methods by geo, gateway, routing, cascading and providers. We find where deposits are lost. Tier 1, from €600.
Cascading · · 7 minCard Decline Codes: Which to Cascade and Which Not ToA guide to card decline codes: soft and hard declines, Visa and Mastercard retry rules, cascading after 3DS and how to build your own cascade matrix for iGaming.
GURO PSPAll servicesWe take on a single task or run your entire payments function end to end.
Tell us about your payment setup
Gateway, cashier, geos and main issues. We’ll tell you where to start and estimate the scope.