Credit card transactions can be declined due to various reasons. To ascertain the cause of a decline, it's necessary to examine the transaction response from the Authorize.net payment gateway account.
Here are some common decline messages and information about the decline types:
Declined (Card declined by issuer - contact card issuer to determine reason.)
This usually happens due to one of two reasons:
- The customer's credit card issuing bank did not approve the transaction. This could be due to insufficient funds, frozen account status, invalid credit card number or expiration date, etc. Regrettably, the card issuing bank does not provide additional details regarding the reason for the decline. The customer will need to contact the card issuing bank for more information. One way to recognize a bank decline is to look at the transaction's Address Verification Service (AVS) status in the Authorization Information section of the Transaction Detail page. If it shows AVS Not Applicable (P), this generally means that no verification of the address information was initiated as the transaction was declined beforehand.
- The transaction may have been declined by your processor based on transaction limits established by your Merchant Service Provider (MSP). Your MSP sets both per-transaction and monthly transaction amount limits for your transaction processing. If you have questions regarding your transaction limits, please contact your MSP. A phone number to your MSP should be on your most recent funding statement.
- The transaction may have been declined due to the Gateway account and Merchant Account (set up by the MSP) not both being set up for the same types of transactions, e.g. Gateway is set up as a "Card Not Present" Account and the Merchant Account is set up as a "Card Present" account. In this case, you will need to reach out to your MSP to confirm the types of transactions you are set up to accept.
Declined (Contact card issuer to complete transaction.)
A referral to a voice authorization center was received. Please call the appropriate voice authorization number below for the card type being used:
- American Express: (800) 528-2121
- Visa/MasterCard: (800) 228-1122
- Discover/Novus: (800) 347-1111
- Diners Club: (800) 525-9040
- JCB: (800) 522-9345
For international merchants (UK and AU):
- Please contact your Merchant Service Provider (MSP)
- If your MSP is WorldPay, please call 0845 7 600 530
Declined (Card reported lost or stolen - contact card issuer for resolution.)
The transaction status means that the credit card has been reported as lost or stolen. The credit card company is informing you, as the merchant, that this card should be taken from the customer and destroyed. We understand this is impossible if the transaction was made via the Internet. In any case, you may contact the customer to inform them of the card's status, and seek another method of payment.
Declined (AVS Mismatch) or (Card Code Mismatch)
This means the transaction was declined due to the Address Verification Service (AVS) or Card Code Verification (CCV) results. AVS compares the billing address (numerical portions) provided in a transaction with the cardholder's address on file at the credit card issuing bank. CCV compares the card code (a three- or four-digit security code that is printed on the credit card) provided in a transaction with the card code on file at the credit card issuing bank. When enabled, both services return a code to the payment gateway indicating the verification results. You can configure settings for AVS and CCV in the Merchant Interface to decline transactions based on those codes.
For more information on AVS and how to use it, see:What is Address Verification Service (AVS) and how to use and configure it?
For more information on Card Code how to use it, see:What is Card Code Verification (CVV) and how to use and configure it?
Declined (The transaction was declined as a result of triggering a Fraud Detection Suite filter.)
If the account has Fraud Detection Suite (FDS) or Advanced Fraud Detection Suite (AFDS) enabled, you can configure the payment gateway to decline transactions that trigger specific FDS filters. To determine if AFDS is the reason for the decline, you can review the Fraud Information section of the Transaction Detail page. The Fraud Filter field will display which filter was triggered.
Declined Reason Codes
Authorize.net may not provide specific reasons for a particular decline, but we do include some details on declines in our transaction responses, if available.
Here are some common decline reasons along with their associated Response Reason Codes:
- 2: General decline by card issuing bank or by Merchant Service Provider
- 3: Referral to card issuing bank for verbal approval
- 4: Card reported lost or stolen; pick up card if physically available
- 27: Address Verification Service (AVS) mismatch; declined by account settings
- 44: Card Code decline by payment processor
- 45: AVS and Card Code mismatch; declined by account settings
- 65: Card Code mismatch; declined by account settings
- 250: Fraud Detection Suite (FDS) blocked IP address
- 251: FDS filter triggered--filter set to decline
- 254: FDS held for review; transaction declined after manual review
For a more complete list and details, please visit our Developer Center Transaction Response Codes Lookup.
FAQs
Some common reasons that your credit card might get declined include having the card's credit limit maxed out, accidentally triggering the card's fraud protections and even entering incorrect payment information on a website.
Why is my credit card declined if I have money? ›
Your card may be declined for a number of reasons: the card has expired; you're over your credit limit; the card issuer sees suspicious activity that could be a sign of fraud; or a hotel, rental car company, or other business placed a block (or hold) on your card for its estimated total of your bill.
Why is my card declining transaction? ›
Unauthorized transactions, unusual use patterns, lost or stolen cards, or scams and malware can automatically trigger a card decline as a safety measure. Protect yourself by using mobile and online banking to keep an eye on your activity in real time so you can quickly see and report any unrecognized transactions.
Why is my credit card declined when I have not reached limit? ›
If you fall behind on payments or you're notoriously late on making payments, your credit card issuer could freeze your account, prohibiting you from making any more purchases. Even if you haven't reached your limit, you're required to make at least the minimum monthly payment so your card stays in good standing.
Why my credit card transaction is failing? ›
Most declines fall into two categories: Soft declines – Card declined due to issues with transaction processing. The bank issuing funds approves the payment, but the transaction breaks down during the processing stages. Hard declines – Card declined by the bank due to lack of funds or outdated card information.
What happens if a credit card transaction is declined but still charged? ›
When a credit card is declined, the credit card company still pre-authorizes the charge which will show as a pending charge on your bank statement. Since the card was declined, the transaction will not be completed, and the pending charge will disappear from your bank statement in a few business days.
Why did one card transaction fail? ›
If your transaction is declined, be sure to check the following: You have enough money in your Debit balance to cover the transaction. You have not frozen your One card. Your One debit card is activated.
How do you fix a card that has been declined? ›
Your card provider may call or text you to ask for purchase approval. If your card issuer does not contact you, calling customer service may allow you to resolve the issue immediately by verifying your identity and intention to make the flagged purchase.
What is the meaning of credit card declined? ›
A credit card decline is when a credit card payment isn't authorized or accepted. There are a few reasons why a customer's card might not work – whether their card has expired, they've spent too much on it, or the issuing bank thinks there might be suspicious activity, among other reasons.
Why is my credit one card declining? ›
There's not enough available credit: Your purchase might have exceeded the amount of money you're allowed to spend on the card. Suspected fraud: If Credit One Bank's system flags a transaction as suspicious and possibly fraudulent, they may prevent it from going through until you confirm that you authorized it.
Some common reasons that your credit card might get declined include having the card's credit limit maxed out, accidentally triggering the card's fraud protections and even entering incorrect payment information on a website.
Why was my credit limit declined? ›
You could be denied a credit limit increase for many reasons, such as a history of late payments, too low of a credit score, too little credit history, too many recent applications, or an inadequate verifiable income.
Why does my Capital One card keep declining? ›
An online purchase can be declined if you enter the wrong card information, such as billing address, expiration date, or CVV number. Declines can also happen during in-person transactions because of a malfunctioning chip reader or your card's magnetic stripe not reading correctly when swiped.
Why is my card declining even though I have enough money? ›
Why might my debit card be denied even if I have money in the account? It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Your debit card may be denied due to overdrafting, reaching daily purchase limits, or your bank suspecting fraud.
Why is my credit card company declining my purchase? ›
Credit cards can be declined for a number of reasons, like missed payments, fraud, travel or expiration. But a quick call to the card's issuer can get your purchasing power back.
Why does my transaction keep failing? ›
What causes payment failure? Failed payments can occur from both the merchant's end and the customer's end. A customer will often experience payment failure due to a faulty internet connection, entering incorrect payment details, or because there is not enough money in their account to cover the payment..
Why is my card declining when I have sufficient funds? ›
There are several reasons why a debit card may be declined even if you have money in your account. Common reasons include travel and reaching your daily purchase limit. Stay on top of your cards and consider using budgeting apps to help avoid debit card denial.
How do you unblock a blocked credit card? ›
To unblock your credit card, you will have to contact your bank by following various online and offline methods. To unblock your credit card online, you can visit your bank's mobile application or official website and apply for 'reissue' or 'reactivation' of your credit card.
How do I know if my card is blocked? ›
When your card is blocked, you cannot make online payments as it will get declined. Also, the card will not be read by the card reader at the ATM or it will not accept the PIN or decline the transaction again. You can confirm if the card is blocked by calling customer care service or at the bank branch.
