Why is our card declining?
This article covers the most common reasons a card payment is declined, what each one means, and how to resolve it.
If a card payment fails, the first step is to check the details in the Portal. When a payment is declined at authorisation, the reason is recorded in the card’s transaction history. You can view this by going to the Payments tab and searching for the Card ID, or by checking your reconciliation report.
The table below lists the most common decline reasons and what you can do to resolve each one.
Top Reasons for Card Declines:
|
Decline Message |
What It Means |
Resolution |
|---|---|---|
|
Authorisation would exceed card limit |
The attempted authorisation is higher than the limit set when the card was created. |
Confirm the correct amount with the supplier. If needed, increase the limit on the existing card or create a new card with a higher one. Where FX rates apply, build in a buffer to cover fluctuations. |
|
Processor declined: DR: card expiry check failed with Emboss Expiry date |
The wrong expiry date was entered, or the card has expired. |
Double-check the expiry date. If the card has expired, create a new one on the portal. |
|
Account has insufficient funds |
The account doesn't have enough balance to cover the authorisation amount. |
Check the available balance on the portal to confirm there are sufficient funds. |
|
Processor declined: DR: Declined due to Card Status: Card Destroyed |
The card has been cancelled or frozen. Single-use cards cancel automatically after one successful authorisation. |
Check the card's status on the portal. Unfreeze it if it's frozen, or create a new card if it's been cancelled. |
|
Processor declined: DR: exceeds withdrawal Amount Limits |
The value of the attempted authorisation is higher than the card's velocity limits. |
Create a new card, or raise a ticket with the Pax2Pay support team to ask about increasing your velocity limits. |
|
Processor declined: Card CVV2 not matching with CVV2 in auth request |
The CVV2 (security code) entered doesn't match the one on the card. |
Ask the supplier to retry the payment using the correct security code. |
|
Processor declined: EH Timeout - An error occurred while sending the request |
A temporary issue with the processor. |
Ask the supplier to retry the payment. If the problem continues, contact the Pax2Pay support team with the card details. |
|
Processor declined: DR: Declined due to Card Status: Short-Term Debit Block (merchant told to retry credits/refunds approved) |
The card is temporarily blocked. |
Check the card's status on the portal, thaw it if needed, and ask the supplier to retry the payment. |
|
0 – (reversed) |
The transaction has been reversed by the supplier. |
Contact your supplier for an explanation. |
|
Card declined due to SCA required |
The supplier has processed the card in a way that triggers Strong Customer Authentication, typically a PIN. Virtual cards don't have a PIN, so the authorisation is rejected. |
This usually means the supplier processed the card incorrectly. Ask them to process it as "Mail Order/Telephone Order (MOTO)" or "cardholder not present." |
|
MCC Code not allowed |
The supplier is using a merchant category code (MCC) that isn't approved for use on Pax2Pay cards. |
Travel-related MCCs are enabled by default. If you're paying a supplier outside these categories, you can request that it be enabled — [see here]. |
|
Processor declined: DR: Invalid Country |
The transaction was declined because it was processed in a country on our card provider's sanctions list. |
Raise a ticket with our support team if you need more information. |
No declined authorisation in the Portal?
If your supplier tells you a payment has failed but you can’t see a declined authorisation in the Portal, it’s likely the transaction is being blocked on the supplier’s side before it reaches us. This usually happens when the supplier or their acquirer doesn’t accept the card type.
If this is the case, ask your supplier to contact their acquirer to find out why the payment is being blocked. In some cases, the acquirer can whitelist the card type (or card BIN) so future payments go through. If this isn’t possible, try paying with one of the other card types available to you.
Please note that we have limited control over which card types a supplier accepts.
Still need help?
If you’ve tried all the card types available to you and still need help, raise a ticket with our Support team.