There are several reasons why an online card payment might be declined:
- Insufficient funds: One of the most common reasons for declined transactions is insufficient funds in the account linked to the card.
- Expired card: If the card's expiration date has passed, the transaction will be declined.
- Incorrect card details: Entering incorrect card information, such as an invalid card number, CVV, or expiration date, can result in a declined transaction.
- Incomplete authentication: One Time Passcode (OTP) / 3D Secure Protection by your bank/payment institution helps them to verify it’s actually you buying online. Not completing the authentication where prompted (e.g. One Time Passcode OTP / or 3D Secure Protection) may also result in payment decline.
- Flagged payment: Financial institutions and payment gateways employ advanced security measures to detect and prevent fraudulent activities. If they identify any unusual patterns or suspect a transaction to be fraudulent, they may decline the payment.
- Exceeded credit limit: If the transaction amount exceeds the credit limit on a credit card, the transaction will be declined.
- Billing address mismatch: A mismatch between the billing address provided during the transaction and the one associated with the card can result in a declined payment.
- VPN usage: Some financial institutions may flag transactions as suspicious if they originate from a different country or region, which can happen when using a VPN.