Why is my customer’s credit card declined?
It can be frustrating when a customer’s credit card keeps getting declined. Here are the most common reasons why a credit card could be declined and what you can do to resolve the issue.
| Error message | Definition | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Amount limit exceeded | The credit limit has been reached. | Ask the customer to contact their credit card company. |
| Expired card | The credit card is expired. | Ask the customer to use a different card. |
| Insufficient funds | There aren’t enough funds in the cardholder’s bank account to process the payment. | Ask the customer to contact their bank. |
| International card restriction (Geographic location) | Overseas transactions aren’t allowed. | Ask the customer to use a different card. |
| Invalid credit card number | The card number is invalid. | Ask the customer to check and re-enter the number if entering a number manually, or use a different card. |
| Invalid PIN | An incorrect PIN was entered. | Ask the customer to check and re-enter their PIN. |
| Processor declined | The payment authorization has been declined at the issuing bank because the card has been compromised in some way. | Ask the customer to use a different card. |
| Transaction not allowed | The payment authorization has been declined by the card issuer. | Ask the customer to use a different card, and contact the card issuer. |
| Type of card not accepted | The supplied payment method isn’t accepted by the retailer. | Ask the customer to use a different card. |
| Unable to route | This can occur for transactions over $50.00 when a digital (not physical) debit card is used. Digital debit cards don’t prompt for a PIN, but the PIN is required for transactions over $50.00. | There are a few ways to resolve this:
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More info
- Learn how to process payments with Virtual Terminal.
- View transactions made through your GoDaddy Payments account.