Having your credit card declined is possibly one of the most embarrassing moments of our lives, especially if you’re the first in a long line of customers or, worse, you don’t have another payment method.
When a cashier swipes your credit card, the payment system communicates with your credit card issuer to determine whether your credit card is valid and you have enough funds available for the transaction. If everything is fine with your credit card, the system sends back an “approved” message and your transaction completes. However, in some cases, the credit card issuer sends back a message declining your credit card transaction.
Five Reasons Your Credit Card Declined
There are a few common reasons your credit card could be declined. The issue could be a miscommunication between you and the credit card issuer, or it could be due to something you’ve done with your account. Here are a few common reasons that might explain why your credit card could be declined.
You Don’t Have Enough Available Credit: Your available credit is the difference between your credit card balance and your credit limit. You could run out of available credit after a spending spree or if you’ve had your credit limit cut unexpectedly. You can check your available credit by calling customer service or logging into your online account.
Note
Authorization holds from places like hotels and car rental agencies also reduce your available credit.
Your Account Is Closed: Credit card issuers can close credit cards without warning for a variety of reasons. It’s also possible that your credit card issuer sent a letter, but you haven’t received it yet.
Your Payment Is Past Due: If you’ve missed a few credit card payments, your credit card issuer has likely suspended your ability to make new payments. You’ll have to bring your account current to restore your purchasing privileges.
Your Credit Card Has Expired: Check the expiration date on your credit card. If the expiration date has passed, that would explain why your credit card was declined. Your credit card issuer may have sent a replacement card in the mail. You just need to get the new card and activate it.
Your Account Has Been Flagged for Fraud: Credit card issuers are constantly monitoring your credit card transactions to be sure they fit the pattern of your typical purchases. Anything outside your normal spending habits could be flagged as fraud and could cause your credit card to be declined.
What to Do If Your Credit Card Is Declined
If your credit card is declined, the easiest thing to do is to complete your transaction with another payment method—cash, a debit card, or another credit card. You can figure out what's happening with your account once you're done.
Giving your credit card issuer a call is the best way to figure out why your credit card got declined. In some cases, like suspected fraud, for example, your credit card issuer can fix the issue so your transaction can process normally. If your account is suspended or closed, your card issuer can let you know the options available.
How to Handle Not Having a Backup Payment Method
Picture the worst-case scenario of having your credit card declined, but not having a backup source of funding. With some businesses, you can simply put your merchandise back on the shelf and come back later for your goods when you have another payment method. In other cases, when you owe money for goods you’ve already consumed or services you’ve already received, you’ll have to work out a solution with the business.
- Stay Calm and Polite: Don’t blame the waiter or the restaurant. They’ll be more willing to work with you if you have a pleasant attitude. Ask whether you may be allowed to return to the business later to settle your balance after you’ve resolved the issue or retrieved another payment method. (You might have to speak to the manager to make this request.) Give the business your contact information as a little extra assurance that you can be contacted for payment.
- Offer to Give Up a Piece of Collateral Until You Return: If the business is reluctant to allow you to leave without paying your bill, offer to leave something there that would guarantee your return.
- Call Someone for Help: A friend or family member may be able to pay over the phone or bring a backup source of funds so you can take care of your payment. In that case, you’d then owe that person rather than the business.
Having your credit card declined is always a possibility. Even if you make all your payments on time and keep your credit card in good standing, you don't know what's happening on the credit card issuer's end. Always carry at least two forms of payment with you, such as a credit card and a debit card. That way, you won't run into a problem completing a transaction.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why are debit cards declined?
Debit cards can be declined for many of the same reasons credit cards are. They may be declined due to a lack of funds or because the bank has suspended your account due to suspected fraud. If you've forgotten or mixed up your PIN for a purchase that requires it, your debit card will also be declined. You may also have exceeded your daily spending limit, or your card may have expired.
Can a pending transaction be cancelled?
A pending transaction may be canceled by the merchant who placed the charge. The card issuer can't make changes to your transaction until it's finalized. If the charge was in error, contact the card issuer as soon as the charge is posted, and dispute the charge.
