A card payment was declined
What each decline reason on the POS means, what to say to the guest, and when to try again or ask for another card.
On this page
A decline means the guest's bank refused the payment. It is not a problem with your reader or your account, and nothing was charged. The POS shows Declined with the reason the bank gave and, where it helps, what to do next.
Quickest fix
- Read the line under Declined, for example "Insufficient funds."
- Follow the advice shown under it: - "Try the same card again." Tap Try again. - "Ask for another card or choose another method." Tap Try another card, or Choose another method for cash or a gift card. - "The customer should contact their bank — try another card meanwhile." Tap Try another card.
- If there are several readers at the location, you can also tap Use another reader.
Each new try uses the same payment, so the guest can't be charged twice by trying again.
Decline reasons and what to tell the guest
Keep it short and discreet: "Your bank declined the card. Do you have another card?" works for every case.
| The POS shows | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "The card was declined." | The bank refused without a specific reason, or for a reason it doesn't share. | Ask for another card or another method. |
| "Insufficient funds." | Not enough money or credit. | Ask for another card. |
| "The card has expired." | Expiry date passed. | Ask for another card. |
| "Incorrect PIN." | Wrong PIN entered. | Try again; the guest re-enters the PIN. |
| "Too many PIN attempts." | The card's PIN is blocked for now. | Ask for another card. |
| "The card needs its PIN — insert it." | The card wants chip and PIN instead of a tap. | Try again and ask the guest to insert the card. |
| "The card needs extra verification — insert it and enter the PIN." | The bank wants the PIN for this payment. | Try again with the card inserted. |
| "The bank refused the payment." | The bank declined without saying why. | Ask for another card; the guest can call their bank later. |
| "The bank couldn't be reached." / "The bank asked to try again shortly." | A temporary problem at the bank. | Try again in a moment. |
| "This card is not supported." / "This card can't be used here." | The card type isn't accepted for this payment. | Ask for another card. |
| "The card doesn't allow this payment." / "The card doesn't support this currency." | The card is restricted by its bank. | Ask for another card. |
| "The card's limit was reached." | A spending or usage limit on the card. | Ask for another card. |
| "The card couldn't be processed." | An error at the card network. | Try again; if it repeats, another card. |
| "The bank refused this amount." | The bank didn't accept the amount. | Check the amount, then try again or use another card. |
When the PIN is asked
Enter PIN on the reader is not a decline. The card asks for its PIN and the payment is still running. Let the guest enter it on the reader.
Not a decline
These mean the payment never reached the bank. Nothing was charged.
| The POS shows | What to do |
|---|---|
| Payment canceled | The guest or a member of staff cancelled. Tap Try again. |
| Reader timed out | No card was presented in time. Tap Try again. |
| Reader offline / Could not reach the reader | See The card reader is offline or busy. |
| Verifying payment… | Wait and tap Check status. See A payment seems stuck. |
See declines in the back office
Go to Settings › Card payments and open a reader. Its page shows the card payments of the last days and Most common reasons for failures, such as Not enough funds, Declined by the bank or Reader did not answer. Many declines with "Reader did not answer" or "Connection lost" point to a reader or network problem rather than the guests' cards.
Common questions
The guest says the card works everywhere else.
The bank decides per payment, so a card can be declined here and work elsewhere. Ask them to try again, insert the card instead of tapping, or use another card or phone wallet.
Can I force the payment through?
No. Only the guest's bank can approve a card payment.
Was the guest charged for the declined attempt?
No. A declined payment charges nothing, and it doesn't appear under Payments in the back office. Only approved payments are booked on the order.
Still not working?
If every card is declined on one reader, try another reader and check the reader's Most common reasons. Then contact support with the reader name, the order number, the time and a photo of the decline message.