POS entry mode · ISO 8583 DE 22 · EMV tag 9F39
79Chip fallback to manual key entry
What does POS entry mode 79 mean?
Chip fallback to manual key entry. A chip-capable (hybrid) terminal could not read the chip — or could not send the chip-fallback transaction online — so the card number was keyed in.
Tag 9F39 value
79
DE 22 values
790 · 791 · 792
Defined by
Mastercard
PIN digit options
0, 1, 2, 8
What it means for the transaction
- Fallback transactions carry high counterfeit risk; many issuers decline them.
- Repeated fallback from one terminal usually means a faulty reader or deliberate chip damage and is monitored by the networks.
How 79 appears in DE 22
In ISO 8583 field 22 the first two digits are the PAN entry mode and the third is the terminal's PIN entry capability. EMV tag 9F39 carries only the two-digit entry mode.
| DE 22 | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 790 | Chip fallback to manual key entry · PIN entry capability unknown |
| 791 | Chip fallback to manual key entry · Terminal can accept PIN |
| 792 | Chip fallback to manual key entry · Terminal cannot accept PIN |
Decode any value
Paste a 2-digit tag 9F39 value or a 3-digit DE 22 value to decode both the entry mode and the PIN capability digit.
Open the POS Entry Mode Decoder