Payment Declined: Common Reasons and How to Fix Them

Getting Started

If your payment didn’t go through, don't worry—this guide outlines the most common reasons payments get declined and what you can do to fix the issue.

In This Article

1. Insufficient Funds

Why it happens:

Your bank account or credit card doesn’t have enough funds or available credit to complete the transaction.

What to try:

  • Check your account balance or credit limit.
  • Try a different payment method.

2. Bank Security Blocks

Why it happens:

Banks and credit card networks may block transactions they consider unusual or potentially fraudulent.

What to try:

  • Contact your bank for clarity.
  • Contact your card issuer (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) for clarity.

3. Card Information Errors

Why it happens:

This usually means one or more payment details don’t match what your bank has on file. Common causes include a typo or mismatch in your card number, expiration date, CVV (CVC), or billing address—especially the billing ZIP code.

What to try:

  • Double-check all payment details before re-submitting.
  • Make sure your billing address and ZIP code match exactly what your bank and card issuer has on record.
  • Payments in our system require an exact match for both the billing ZIP code and the CVV.
  • Even if you’re confident your ZIP code is correct, our payment system verifies what you enter against the card network data from your bank/issuer. If there’s a mismatch, we can’t override it. Please contact your bank or card issuer to confirm the precise billing ZIP code they have on file.
  • If you’re using a company card, check with your finance team to see whether the card or its billing details have changed recently.

4. Expired or Inactive Card

Why it happens:

The card you're using has expired or is no longer active.

What to try:

  • Use a different, valid card.
  • If it’s a recently replaced card, update your payment info with the new expiration date and CVV.

5. Card Not Supported for Online or International Payments

LetterStream accepts many payments from outside the United States, but some transactions may be declined due to bank policies, security checks, or regional payment restrictions.

If your payment fails and you're outside of the US, the most common solution is to contact your card issuer. LetterStream is unable to override these types of bank or processor declines.

Why Does My Bank Show a Pending Charge if My Payment Failed?

If your payment was unsuccessful, you may still see a pending transaction on your credit card or bank account.

A pending transaction does not necessarily mean LetterStream received the funds. In some cases, your bank or card issuer may temporarily show the attempted payment as pending while the transaction is being processed or released.

If your LetterStream job still shows under Action Required or otherwise was not successfully submitted, the payment was not successfully completed with LetterStream and we have not received the funds.

How to Confirm Whether Your Payment Was Successful

You can review the successful payments received through your LetterStream account:

  1. Log in to your LetterStream account.
  2. Hover over My Account.
  3. Select Billing Information.
  4. Scroll down to Payment History.

Payment History shows payments that were successfully made through your LetterStream account, including the payment date, amount, and whether the payment was made through the shopping cart or added to your Account Balance.

If the transaction shown as pending by your bank does not appear in your LetterStream Payment History and your job is still awaiting payment, you can retry the payment or use another payment method.

If you continue to have trouble or believe a payment was completed successfully and is missing from your Payment History, our Support Team would be happy to assist.

What to Do if Your Payment Keeps Failing

If you've tried the above steps and your payment is still being declined:

  • Wait a few minutes and try again.
  • Use a different card or payment method if available.
  • Contact your bank to ensure there are no restrictions on your account.