How to Help a Cardholder When Their Transaction is Declined
Why might a cardholder's transaction be declined?
There are several reasons why a cardholder's transaction may be declined. When assisting them, check the following common causes:
- Connectivity issues between the merchant and payment processor: Occasionally, there may be a connection issue between the merchant’s platform and our system. Advise the cardholder to retry the transaction by re-entering their card details and trying again.
- Incompatibility with the merchant’s payment platform: Some merchants may not accept certain card types. In this case, suggest the cardholder use an alternative payment method.
- Security block: Transactions can be blocked due to security concerns. Advise the cardholder to contact your support team if they believe the transaction should have gone through. For the safety of the cardholder, we may not always be able to disclose the exact reason the transaction was blocked.
- Insufficient funds: If the cardholder does not have enough funds to cover the purchase, the transaction will be declined. Encourage the cardholder to check their balance and top up their account if necessary.
- Suspected Fraudulent Transaction: A transaction may be stopped if it appears fraudulent. The cardholder will be contacted to confirm if the transaction is authentic and can be processed.
Why can’t a cardholder see a declined transaction in their transaction history?
Declined transactions do not appear in the cardholder’s transaction history, as the payment did not complete. If they are concerned about the decline, they should reach out to your support team for more details.