Why was a card declined?
The wrong information was used
You might have entered the wrong billing information or credit card details in the donation checkout form. Refreshing the current donation page and double-checking the transaction information you enter in the form usually solves the issue. We recommend that supporters double-check their:
- Card number
- CVV
- Card expiration date
- Billing address
- Zip Code
The CVV is a 3 digit number located on the back of the card (for AMEX cards, it's a 4 digit code on the front). If you've recently moved, you may want to double-check that your billing address has been updated. If the issue persists you should contact your card issuer or bank to see if your card has a hold for another reason.
The card is expired
There is a chance that your credit or debit card has expired—the expiration date is on the front of most cards. If the card is expired, you need to activate and use the replacement card your issuer or bank sends you.
Note: This commonly affects recurring donations since supporters can forget to update their payment information with their new card details. When a recurring donation fails, you can enable a notification to the supporter that suggests double-checking their card details. Supporters can then send you their new details so you can update their recurring giving plan.
The email is only sent if a recurring plan is ongoing. If their card fails when setting up the recurring plan for the first time, an email will not be sent because GoFundMe Pro has no record of it
The card limit has been reached or there are insufficient funds
When a supporter reaches the credit limit on their card or their debit card has insufficient funds, a payment can be declined. Supporters usually receive a notification from their card issuer or bank when this happens.
To solve the problem, make a payment on the credit card or transfer funds to the account that is associated with the debit card.
The network has a firewall
You may be trying to submit a donation from work or on public wifi, but sometimes these networks have firewalls that prevent outside transactions from processing—this is a security measure.
If possible, please try the transaction from a home network or by using mobile data.
The browser or cache is causing issues
Sometimes a particular browser can experience technical difficulties which can affect donations. Switching browsers usually solves the issue. For example, if you’re using Internet Explorer, try Chrome.
In other cases, you may need to clear your cache. When someone visits a website their browser will save pieces of the site so that it loads faster—the collection of pieces is the cache. However, updates to a website can make the files in the cache obsolete and cause issues. To fix this, you can use a private browser or clear your cache.
The card has a hold
If the reasons above are not the cause for the declined card, the card issuer or bank has likely placed a hold on the card. Card issuers and banks do so to protect their cardholders from fraud.
There are a variety of reasons a card can be flagged for fraud and frozen—the supporter may have made some abnormal purchases recently, the supporter may make a donation that is larger than their usual transactions, and more. To solve the issue, you simply need to contact your card issuer or bank to authorize donations.
The transaction was international
Some banks will flag international transactions as a form of protection. This happens because international transactions may fall outside of normal spending behavior. Contacting the bank to approve the transaction will solve the issue.
Some final tips
If a supporter contacts you about a declined card, we recommend sharing the various reasons above. In any case, it is always best to advise supporters to contact their card issuer or bank as a safety precaution.
While supporters might not be able to donate until the issues are resolved, sharing this information builds trust between supporters and organizations. This increases the chance that supporters will return to make a donation once they solve their payment issues.
If a card continues to decline after using the tips above, contact our Care Team. They're happy to help.