## TL;DR
A Kount RIS timeout is a review-pending signal, not a decline. Set a short client timeout, map timeouts to your manual review queue instead of auto-declining, and fetch the final decision by order number once Kount finishes scoring.

```text
kount ris response DECLINE_REVIEW timeout: how to fix
```

## Use this when
- RIS calls return DECLINE_REVIEW and your client times out waiting.
- Slow Kount responses push checkout past its deadline.
- You see timeouts spike during traffic peaks.

## Not for this skill when
- You get a full DECLINE response quickly. That is a decision, not a timeout.
- Every call fails with error 201. That is a merchant id problem.

## Steps
1. Set an explicit client timeout on RIS calls, short enough that checkout stays responsive. Verify: a timed-out call fails fast instead of hanging the page.
2. Map timeouts to REVIEW in your order state, never to DECLINE. Verify: timed-out orders land in the review queue, not in the declined bucket.
3. Store the order number and request id with every timed-out call. Verify: each timeout row carries the key you need for a later lookup.
4. Fetch the decision later by order number and update the order state. Verify: the review queue entry resolves to the real Kount decision.
5. Make retries idempotent: one active review per order number, no duplicate review rows. Verify: a retried lookup never creates a second queue entry.

## Variant phrasings
### kount ris timeout on review
Shorter symptom phrasing.
### kount DECLINE_REVIEW slow response
Search from latency dashboards.
### kount risk inquiry timeout checkout
Checkout-impact wording.

Compatibility: Kount RIS API over HTTPS. Decision lookup by order number is the async fallback; your review queue owns the order state while Kount is still scoring.

## Why it happens
DECLINE_REVIEW means Kount wants more time, and your checkout deadline is usually shorter than Kount's scoring window. Treating the timeout as a decline turns a slow maybe into a definite no, which is the most expensive misread in this flow.

## Edge cases / pitfalls
- Do not retry the RIS call aggressively. A retry storm during a Kount slowdown makes the slowdown worse.
- Ship the goods only on an explicit approve. A timed-out review is not an approve.
- Log timeout rates separately from declines. Mixing them hides the real decline rate.
- If timeouts cluster in one region, check your own network path before blaming Kount.

## Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_p1jR1GHIQsTc4QBnojHViw