1. Incorrectly inputting information
A very common reason for a payment not going through, or being declined, is incorrectly inputting your card information such as your billing address. Be sure to double-check that the information you have submitted matches what is present on your card.
2. Attempting to complete a large purchase
Card issuers are constantly monitoring your transactions to establish a pattern of your typical purchases. If you usually don’t make large purchases with your card, your card may be declined until you verify that it is you making the purchase.
In order to do so, you will need to contact your bank or credit card issuer.
3. You have reached your card limit
If your balance begins to approach your card limit and you attempt to buy something that will cause your balance to exceed it, your card may be declined. Most card companies will send an email or text message notice to inform you when your balance is approaching your limit.
4. Your card company or bank has flagged your purchase as suspicious
If you usually don’t use your card for online purchases, your card company may deem the purchase as fraudulent, and require you to verify that it is you making the purchase. In cases like this, a simple phone call to your bank or card issuer should usually fix the issue.
5. Your credit card has expired
Be sure to check the expiration date listed on your card. If the expiration date has passed, it would make sense why your card was declined. In this instance, you would simply need to obtain a new card from your issuer and activate it.
6. A temporary hold has been placed on your card from a different purchase
Another merchant may have placed a temporary or authorization hold on funds in your account for a different purchase. An authorization hold is done to ensure that the funds needed for the purchase aren't spent accidentally, and once your bank or card issuer approves the transaction, the purchase will complete.
If your purchase exceeds the remaining available funds/credit on your account after the temporary hold has been put in place, your card may be declined until the hold is released on the funds. Usually these holds are released within 2 - 5 business days, either from the pending transaction going through or from the transaction being declined.
In this instance, it is best to check with your bank or card issuer regarding when the temporary hold will be released, or use a different card if available.
Additionally, most banks will list these holds as “pending” transactions to make it easier to differentiate them from transactions that have gone through successfully.