When communicating with an EMV chip card, the card may reply to a command with error code SW1 SW2 = ’69 85′. In this post, we’ll analyze why this error code may be returned in response to the GET PROCESSING OPTIONS (GPO) command.

The GPO command “initiates the transaction within the ICC“, as defined in EMV 4.3 book 3, section ‘6.5.8 GET PROCESSING OPTIONS Command-Response APDUs‘. Status word ‘6985’ is defined as “Command not allowed” (“conditions of use not satisfied”), in EMV 4.3 book 3, section ‘6.3.5 Coding of the Status Bytes. This often happens when the GPO command contains an invalid response to the card Processing Data Options List (PDOL). Continue reading →