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What is a payment authorisation rate? The share of card payments approved

By SendPay Business · · 2 min read

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A payment authorisation rate is the share of card payment attempts that the customer's bank approves. If 100 customers try to pay and 92 payments go through, the authorisation rate is 92%.

Why good payments get declined

  • The card issuer's fraud checks flag an unusual purchase.
  • Card details are out of date, such as an old expiry date.
  • The customer doesn't have enough money or credit available.
  • Security checks like 3D Secure fail or time out.
  • The payment looks unusual because it comes from another country.
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Why it matters

Every good payment that is declined is a lost sale, and some customers won't try again. Declines of genuine customers, often called false declines, can cost businesses more than fraud itself.

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Where SendPay fits

SendPay doesn't offer card machines or acquiring. SendPay platforms let you get paid with payment links, invoices and subscriptions, alongside GBP, EUR and USD accounts and branded Visa cards, powered by licensed partners.

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How it works

Your own money app
  1. Name it and pick your colours
  2. Choose what it does
  3. Launch when you are ready

Why sign up

Create your free SendPay account

It's all about creating your own financial platform with ease. Start with a free account today.

  • A free business accountOpen it in about a minute with your business name, email, password and mobile. No card and no documents to start.
  • Get paid from day oneTake card payments, and share your own payment link and invoices so customers pay in a click.
  • A free business websiteFree to build, free to publish and free to keep, with unlimited visits.
  • Your own financial platformDesign and preview your whole platform free, then launch when you are ready.
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SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank. Accounts, cards and payments are powered by licensed partners.

Questions people ask

What is my card approval rate?

Work out your authorisation rate and what declines cost you, free.

Authorisation rate calculator →
Why do card payments get declined?

Common reasons include fraud checks, low funds and wrong details.

Declined payments →
What is a card decline code?

A short code explaining why a payment was refused.

Decline codes →
What is card tokenisation?

Replacing card numbers with safe stand-in tokens.

Tokenisation →

Read next

Spotted a mistake or something out of date? and we'll fix it. How our guides are made

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank, and does not take deposits; regulated services on the platforms are provided by licensed partners. Other companies named in this guide are reference points only and are not affiliated with SendPay Business.