Why Was My Visa Credit Card Declined?

If your Visa has been unexpectedly declined, you should quickly find out what happened and how you can solve the problem. There are several possible reasons your Visa was rejected. These reasons include Visa suspecting your card has been stolen, not paying your Visa bill, entering the wrong information during an online transaction and more.

Was your Visa card unexpectedly declined? If so, you need to figure out what happened right away so you can solve the problem and regain access to your card. Read on to learn some of the most likely causes for a declined card and what you can do about them.

You Went Over Your Credit Limit

If your attempted purchase was a large one, you may have gone over your credit limit. Double-check your balance to see if this was the case. If it was, you'll need to reduce your future spending habits.

Your Card Expired

Check your card's expiration date to see if it's expired. If it has expired, check your mail; a replacement could have arrived already. If it hasn't, contact your bank to see if a replacement has been sent.

You Made a Typo

If your Visa was rejected in an online transaction, the problem may simply be that you entered some transaction information incorrectly. You can always try the transaction again and double-check everything before you submit it. This is especially true if some of the information is auto-filled. Accidentally auto-filling the wrong information is a common oversight with online purchases.

Visa Suspects Fraud or Theft

Visa tries to protect its customers from fraud and theft. One of the ways it does this is by monitoring where your card is used. If it suddenly shows up in an area far outside your normal purchase range, Visa may suspect your card was stolen and freeze it. If you recently used your card somewhere new, contact Visa to see if your transaction was the cause of the problem. If it was, you can easily verify the transaction and get your card unfrozen. Inform your bank before you travel to prevent this from happening.

Account Issues

If you've fallen behind on your Visa payments, your card may have been frozen. You'll need to get current again to get it unfrozen. Violating one of Visa's or your bank's terms of service can also cause your Visa to be deactivated as a penalty. If this happens, you'll need to talk to a representative of your bank or Visa — whichever entity deactivated your card.

Your Visa Card Is Broken

You may have accidentally damaged the chip in your Visa card, which means card readers won't be able to read it anymore. Sometimes, you may be unable to see the damage. If you can't find another reason for the rejection, your card may have been damaged. In that case, you'll need to replace it.

Contacting Visa

If you need help with a declined card or have other questions, you can contact a Visa representative by phone, live chat or the Visa help forum.

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