Transaction didn't go through? Here's a list of possible decline messages and what they mean:
Card was paused at time of transaction - Oops! Don't forget to unpause your card before attempting a transaction.
Card was closed at time of transaction - Sorry! Closed cards can't be used to make transactions.
Read more about paused/closed cards here
Transaction exceeded your global spend limit - This attempted transaction is higher than your account's daily/weekly spending limit.
Transaction exceeded your monthly spend limit - This attempted transaction is higher than your account's monthly spending limit.
Read more about account spending limits here
Transaction exceeded your card's spend limit - The attempted transaction is higher than your Privacy Card's spending limit. Increasing or removing the spending limit on the virtual card will allow the transaction to go through.
Read more about virtual card spending limits here.
An unauthorized merchant charged your card - This Privacy Card has already been used with another merchant. If your card is category-locked, this merchant hasn't been pre-approved for this card's category. You'll need to create another Privacy Card to transact here.
A single-use card was charged multiple times - Single-Use Cards close after one transaction. We recommend using a Merchant Card when shopping somewhere that requires multiple purchases.
Read more about Single-Use and Merchant Cards here
We were unable to connect to your funding source - We've lost connection with the bank token tied to your funding source, which often causes unwanted declines (like this one!). Please “refresh” our connection to your funding source from your Account page. A step-by-step guide on how to complete this process can be found here.
Your funding source didn't appear to have enough funds for this transaction - This decline is in place to prevent overdraft/NSF fees charged by your bank. When our system evaluates transactions for approval, it considers any transactions pending on your Privacy Account. We will decline any transactions if the amount of pending transactions on your Privacy Account comes close to the available balance in your bank account. If this does not appear to be the case, it’s possible our connection with your bank has expired. To fix this, please delete then re-connect your funding source from your Privacy Account page. This will refresh your bank token and your balance.
This merchant is not permitted to make charges on Privacy Cards - While one of our main priorities is allowing users to transact with merchants safely and preventing unwanted charges, we also have to do our part to prevent fraudulent activity. We've had to block any transactions with this merchant because of the high volume of high-risk transactions with this merchant using our cards.
Incorrect card details. The card form may have been filled out incorrectly - Try one more time and double-check that the CVV and/or expiration date were entered correctly.
What if my decline isn't listed on my account page under 'Declines'?
This could mean one of two things:
1. The virtual card number was entered incorrectly - Typically, this will cause an error on the merchant's checkout page saying "Invalid card number" or something similar to let you know if this happens.
2. The merchant blocked the transaction from going through - This could happen for a variety of reasons. If the merchant does not accept credit cards (which Privacy Cards are classified as), you won't be able to use a Privacy Card with that merchant.
If the merchant normally accepts credit cards but still declines the virtual card, please contact them directly for more info on why this particular transaction is being declined.
What if my decline isn't on this list?
Please message us at support@privacy.com and we'll be happy to look into this for you.