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 |
| Spend control — company rule | Your admin has enabled a rule that blocks this transaction type (e.g. Liquor stores, Pubs and bars, International transactions, ATM withdrawals) | Contact your admin to check which controls are active, or see Understanding Spend Controls — what’s blocked and why |
| Spend control — high risk transaction | Budgetly’s default protections blocked this transaction | These protections cannot be changed. If you believe this is an error, contact Budgetly support |
| ATM withdrawals disabled | Your admin has disabled ATM withdrawals — either for your individual user (Users → [User] → Preferences) or company-wide (via Spend Controls) | 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.
My transaction was declined with a policy reason, not an insufficient funds message. What does that mean?
Your company has Spend Controls enabled. A company rule blocked the transaction before it was processed — for example, Liquor stores, Pubs and bars, International transactions, or ATM withdrawals. Contact your admin to find out which rules are active. See Understanding Spend Controls — what’s blocked and why for a full explanation of each rule.