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# Why was my payment declined?

# Why was my payment declined?
Payments can fail for a variety of reasons. A declined payment does not necessarily mean there is a problem with Fygaro or with the customer's card.
A transaction may be declined by the **card issuer**, the **acquiring bank or payment processor**, or by **security and fraud-prevention controls**.
There are three main reasons why a payment might fail:
* **Issuer decline**
* **Acquirer or processor decline**
* **Payment blocked by security controls**
## Issuer declines
When a customer's card issuer receives an authorization request, its systems determine whether the transaction should be approved.
An issuer may decline a transaction for several reasons, including:
* Insufficient funds or available credit.
* An expired or inactive card.
* Incorrect card information.
* Transaction or spending limits.
* Restrictions on online or international transactions.
* Suspected fraud or unusual activity.
* Restrictions placed on the card or account.
When the issuer provides additional information about the decline, Fygaro displays the information received under the corresponding **Payment** and payment attempt.
||  Fygaro can only display the decline information provided by the issuer or processing network. In some cases, the issuer simply returns a generic decline without providing a specific explanation.

Depending on the decline reason, the customer may be able to correct the information and try again, contact their issuer, or use another payment method.

## Acquirer or processor declines
The acquiring bank and payment processor may also reject a transaction before or while the authorization is being processed.
This can happen because of:
* Transaction restrictions.
* Merchant or terminal configuration.
* Unsupported transaction types.
* Validation requirements.
* Processing or routing rules.
* Security controls.
* Temporary processing issues.
When available, Fygaro displays the decline information received from the acquiring bank or processor under the corresponding payment attempt.
## Payments blocked by security controls
Fygaro and its banking and processing partners use security and fraud-prevention controls designed to identify potentially suspicious transactions.
If a transaction triggers one of these controls, the payment may be blocked even if the card itself is otherwise valid.
Depending on the reason, the customer may be able to:
* Verify the card and transaction information and try again.
* Try again later.
* Contact their card issuer.
* Use another card or payment method.
||  For security reasons, Fygaro may not always be able to disclose the specific rule, fraud signal, or security control that caused a transaction to be blocked.
# Common decline messages and what to do
| Message | What it means | Recommended action |
| ---- |
| **Do Not Honor** | The issuing bank declined the transaction without providing a more specific reason. | The customer should contact the issuer using the number on the back of the card or use another payment method. |
| **Invalid Transaction** | The issuer or processor does not accept the transaction as submitted. | The customer should contact their card issuer for additional information or use another payment method. |
| **Consumer Authentication Failed** | The cardholder authentication process, such as 3D Secure, could not be completed successfully. | The customer can verify the information entered and try again. If the issue continues, contact the card issuer or use another payment method. |
| **Incorrect CVC / CVN** | The security code entered does not match the information expected for the card. | Verify the 3 or 4 digit security code and try again. |
| **CV Failed** | The authorization may have been approved by the issuer, but the transaction did not pass the Card Verification Number check required for the payment. | Verify the card security code. If the information is correct and the payment continues to fail, use another payment method or contact the issuer. |
| **Insufficient Funds** | The card does not have sufficient available funds or credit for the transaction. | The customer should use another payment method or contact their issuer. |
| **Expired Card** | The card has expired or the expiration date entered does not match the issuer's records. | Verify the expiration date or use another card. |
| **Inactive Card** | The card has not been activated or is not currently available for transactions. | The customer should contact their card issuer or use another payment method. |
| **Transaction Not Permitted** | The card or account is not authorized for this type of transaction. This can include restrictions on online, international, or card-not-present payments. | The customer should contact their card issuer or use another payment method. |
| **Card Limit Exceeded** | The transaction exceeds a spending, credit, daily, or transaction limit established by the issuer. | The customer should contact the issuer or use another payment method. |
| **Issuer Unavailable** | The issuing bank was temporarily unavailable to process the authorization. | The customer may try again later. |
| **Suspected Fraud / Security Restriction** | The issuer or processor declined the transaction because it triggered a fraud or security restriction. | The customer should contact their issuer or use another payment method. |
| **Lost or Stolen Card** | The issuer has identified the card as lost or stolen. | Do not continue retrying the same card. The customer should contact their issuer and use another payment method. |
| **Account Restricted or Frozen** | The issuer has placed a restriction on the card or account. | The customer should contact the card issuer or use another payment method. |
# Should the customer try the payment again?
Not every declined transaction should be immediately retried.
### Incorrect information
If the decline indicates incorrect information, such as:
* Incorrect CVC / CVN.
* Incorrect expiration date.
* Incorrect card information.
The customer should **correct the information before trying again**.
### Temporary declines
For temporary conditions, such as:
* Issuer temporarily unavailable.
* Temporary processing issue.
The customer may **wait and try again later**.
### Issuer or security restrictions
For declines involving:
* Suspected fraud.
* Lost or stolen cards.
* Restricted or frozen accounts.
* Transaction not permitted.
* Repeated issuer declines.
The customer should **contact their card issuer or use another payment method** instead of repeatedly submitting the same transaction.
||  Repeatedly retrying a declined transaction does not necessarily increase the likelihood of approval and may trigger additional issuer or fraud-prevention controls.
# Who should the customer contact?
In most issuer-related declines, **only the card issuer can explain why the transaction was declined or remove restrictions from the card**.
The customer should contact the issuer using the telephone number printed on the back of their card.
Fygaro can help confirm the decline response received for a transaction, but cannot override a decline issued by the customer's bank.
# Where can I see the decline reason?
You can review the information received for a declined transaction directly from your Fygaro account:
1. Open the corresponding **Payment**.
2. Locate the failed payment attempt.
3. Review the decline message and additional information displayed for the transaction.

|| The amount of information available depends on the response provided by the card issuer, acquiring bank, or payment processor. Some banks provide detailed decline reasons, while others only return a generic decline message.
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