KOHO offers a safe, rewarding, and budget-friendly way to spend.
The most common reasons your credit card is being declined are not enough available credit or funds, suspicious activity or fraud checks, wrong card details (like expiry, CVV, or billing address), a frozen or blocked card, or a simple technical issue with the terminal or network.
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Common Reasons Your Credit Card Gets Declined
Here are the main things that usually cause a decline:
Not enough available credit or funds
You are close to or over your credit limit.
A large purchase is trying to go through and there is not enough room on the card.
Suspected fraud or unusual activity
You made a purchase in a new country or at a strange place.
The bank’s system flags it as risky and blocks it to protect you.
Wrong card details
The expiry date, CVV, or billing address does not match what the bank has on file.
Online payments are especially sensitive to small mistakes.
Card is frozen, blocked, or expired
You or your bank locked the card after a lost card or fraud warning.
The card has passed the expiry date and needs to be replaced.
Late payments or account issues
If you have missed a few payments, your bank might limit or block your card.
The account could be “past due,” so charges are refused.
Technical problems
The payment terminal is down.
The network is having issues.
In these cases, it is not your fault or your card’s fault.
What To Do Right Away If Your Card Is Declined
If this happens at a store or online, you can try:
Try again once
Ask to run the card one more time or try inserting instead of tapping.
Check your balance and limit
Open your banking app and see how much room you have left.
If your limit is almost full, that is likely the reason.
Look for a text or email from your bank
Many banks send a message asking you to confirm if a purchase is really you.
Reply or follow the steps to unlock the card if it was a fraud check.
Use a backup payment method
Debit card, cash, or another card if you have one.
This helps you avoid being stuck at the checkout.
Call the number on the back of your card
They can tell you the exact reason.
They can also unlock your card or fix the issue in many cases.
How To Avoid Future Declines
You cannot control every situation, but you can lower the chances:
Keep your balance low compared to your limit
Turn on alerts for payments and declines in your banking app
Update your address when you move, so billing info stays correct
Set up automatic payments for at least the minimum due
Tell your bank before big trips so travel purchases look less suspicious