All of us at some point may be faced with ‘declined’ message during credit card transaction. This could happen for various reasons:
Expired
Your card may have expired. Check expiry date on your card.
Credit limit
You may have crossed your credit limit.
Unpaid bills
You may not have paid your past few months’ bills. Usually, the company will block the card if payment record is bad and you have regularly not been paying bills. First warning will come through lowering of credit limit.
Technical fault
The credit card machine at which your card is swiped may have technical problems. You may need to check with your vendor for clarification.
Forgotten pin
If the data you are entering, like credit card number, expiration date or security code, is mis-typed and does not match the records, the company will freeze the card.
Fraud
Sometimes the card company will block transaction if it thinks there is something suspicious about the card activity. This may happen if there are too many back-to-back transactions or too many online transactions. Or one large transaction involving a huge amount of money. If it is genuine, alert your credit card company of the big purchase.
Issues
An ongoing issue with the credit card company regarding bill payment could prompt the latter to block transactions.
International travel
If you are using your credit card abroad and the card company is not aware of it, your card can get blocked. Also while purchasing online from a company based abroad, the purchase will be registered as a foreign purchase leading to decline of transaction. The credit card company needs to be informed of international travel to allow transactions abroad.
User
If an account has more than one user and one has asked for its deactivation, the other user under the same account will experience deactivation too.
FAQs
You may have crossed your credit limit. Unpaid bills. You may not have paid your past few months' bills. Usually, the company will block the card if payment record is bad and you have regularly not been paying bills.
Why is my debit card declined at ATM? ›
A debit card decline happens when a transaction cannot be processed because the payment gateway, the processor, or bank has declined the transaction. Card declines can be soft or hard. A soft decline happens due to a temporary authorization failure. In most cases, the transaction will go through the second time around.
Why is my debit card declined when 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 does the ATM keep rejecting my card? ›
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 the ATM rejecting my money? ›
If a banknote is damaged, wrinkled or dirty, an ATM may reject it and return it to you. In this case, you could try smoothing out the wrinkled banknote and reenter it into the ATM.
What does it mean when ATM decline charge? ›
What is debit card decline charge. When customers try to take out cash or use their debit cards, but don't have enough money in their account, they get charged a fee. This fee is charged even though the bank doesn't incur any costs for a declined transaction.
Why won t my debit card work at ATM? ›
Occasionally, your debit card just wears out. If the information is no longer readable, or if the card is cracked, the card will no longer work. If you are trying to use the card at a merchant that doesn't use the EMV chip technology yet, the strip on the back of your card may have become demagnetized.
Why can't I withdraw money from my debit card? ›
Check the expiration date on your card. If your card has expired, the ATM may not be able to read it. Check the balance on your account. If you don't have sufficient funds available, the ATM may not be able to process your transaction.
Why is the ATM not reading my card? ›
This can be caused by a dirty or damaged card, a faulty or jammed card reader, or a network or software glitch. To troubleshoot and resolve card reader errors, you should inspect the card for any visible damage, dirt, or debris. If the card is dirty, gently wipe it with a soft cloth.
What is the difference between a debit card being declined and not authorized? ›
An authorized transaction is a debit or credit card purchase for which the merchant has received approval from the bank that issued the customer's payment card. A processor decline indicates that the customer's bank has refused the transaction request.
One way you can have insufficient funds is if you have recently deposited a check and the funds are not available yet. Another possibility is receiving a check that was bounced. Get a copy of your statement and go over it.
What is the reason for ATM card declined? ›
Your debit card may get declined due to reasons like insufficient available balance, exceeding daily transaction limits, a blocked card for security reasons, or technical glitches in the payment system.
Why would an ATM reject a withdrawal? ›
The machine may run out of cash, or your transaction may be declined due to technical reasons. Even worse is when the ATM declines your transaction, yet you receive an SMS saying the amount has been deducted from your account.
Why would an ATM not return my card? ›
An ATM can retain your card for various reasons. Some of the most common reasons are: An out of order or malfunctioning ATM due to technical issues. If you lost your card, blocked it, later recovered it and tried to use it without unblocking it, your card may be swallowed by the ATM.
Why was my ATM withdrawal declined? ›
There are a number of issues that could result in a debit card decline. For starters, you could be mistaken about your balance, or you may have reached your daily limit for withdrawals. The bank may feel the transaction is suspicious, based on your purchase history. Technical issues may also be to blame.
Should I accept or decline conversion ATM? ›
Always refuse any conversion, always choose the local currency for the country you're in.
Why is the ATM not letting me take out money? ›
Account Balance: Verify that you have sufficient funds in your account to cover the withdrawal amount you're trying to make. Overdrawing your account can lead to transaction failures. Daily Limits: Most banks impose daily withdrawal limits on ATM transactions. Check if you've exceeded your daily withdrawal limit.
What is decline conversion on ATM? ›
Choose “Decline Conversion” while withdrawing cash abroad
The ATMs fixed rates are almost always much higher (5%-15% higher) as these incude “hidden” fees of the ATM. Decline Conversion: You want to withdraw the money at the exchange rate set by Visa, Mastercard, Amex or whichever logo you see on your card.
