Sometimes a transaction is declined even if everything looks right. This article covers the most common reasons and what to do.
Common reasons for declined transactions
| Reason | What’s happening | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Budget balance too low | The card’s budget doesn’t have enough funds | Top up the budget or ask an admin |
| Company balance too low | The overall company balance is insufficient | An admin can deposit more funds |
| Incorrect PIN | Wrong PIN entered at the terminal | Reset your PIN |
| ATM withdrawals disabled | Admin has turned off ATM access | Check with your admin |
| Visa debit not accepted | Merchant doesn’t accept Visa debit cards | Try selecting “Credit” at the terminal |
| Incorrect CVV attempts | 3 wrong CVV entries and the card is locked | Contact support to unlock |
| System error | Merchant outage, poor connection, or temporary interruption | Wait and retry |
Note: A $1.00 fee is charged when a transaction is declined due to insufficient funds — either at the budget level or the company level. This appears on the monthly Budgetly invoice. Declines for all other reasons are not charged.
What to do if a transaction is declined
- Check Budgetly — if the transaction appears, the decline reason is listed.
- If it doesn’t appear, contact the merchant to find out why it was blocked on their end.
- Keep the declined receipt (in-store) or take a screenshot of the error (online).
- Retry the transaction — it may have been a one-off error.
- Verify the budget and company balance have enough funds.
- Contact Budgetly support if you’re still unsure.
Common questions
Why was my card declined if my budget has enough money?
The company’s overall balance may be too low, even if your individual budget shows available funds. Ask your admin to check the company balance.
Will I be charged for a declined transaction?
Only if the decline was due to insufficient funds (budget or company balance). A $1.00 fee applies per decline, which appears on the monthly invoice. Declines for all other reasons are not charged.
My card was declined but the transaction doesn't show in Budgetly. Why?
The merchant blocked the transaction before it reached Budgetly. Contact the merchant directly — they can tell you why it was rejected.