Why do card payments get declined? The common reasons and fixes
By SendPay Business · · 2 min read
- 1Your card appears in your app
- 2Tap it to pay in a shop
- 3See every payment as it happens
A card payment is declined when the card issuer, the payment provider or a fraud check refuses it. Most declines have a simple cause, and many can be fixed in a minute.
The most common reasons
Frequent causes include not enough available balance, a mistyped card number, expiry date or security code, an expired or blocked card, a spending limit being reached, a failed 3D Secure check, or the issuer's fraud system flagging the payment as unusual.
What decline messages mean
Sellers usually see a short reason such as 'insufficient funds' or 'do not honour'. 'Do not honour' is a general refusal from the issuer that does not give the reason, so the payer normally needs to contact their card provider or app.
Try it
Name your platform and watch it come to life
Type a name, tap a colour and pick what it does. The phone changes as you go.
Colour
What it does
Design and preview your whole platform free, then launch when you are ready.
What to do next
0 of 4 done
Tick each step as you do it, so you can see what is left.
Where SendPay fits
SendPay platforms can issue branded Visa cards to your customers and take payments by payment link and invoice, powered by licensed partners. SendPay tells you in writing which licences apply to your platform before you launch.
How it works
Your own money app- 1Name it and pick your colours
- 2Choose what it does
- 3Launch 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.
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 →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Spotted a mistake or something out of date?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.