Why is My Debit Card Declined When I Have Money – Reasons & Solutions

Have you tried making a payment with your debit card, but it declined? No doubt! Debit cards have made life easier than we could think. But there are downfalls too. Think of a situation when you have filled your cart with all the exciting offers, and your debit card declined payment while paying for it, even having enough money for it. Nothing can be more frustrating and embarrassing than this situation. In that case, you will ask yourself a question “why is my debit card declined when I have money.”

Well, we are coming up with all its possible reasons, solutions, and alternatives. To get your debit card working again, you must read the whole article all the way through its ending and learn all the possible ways to resolve the issue.

What is a Debit Card & How Does it Work?

A debit card is a card of ease that an account holder uses when they need money while purchasing at a retail store. It is a plastic card had been trusted and tested by more than 17 billion people to make their purchases more easily. It’s a card that is linked to your bank account, and whenever you make a payment with this card then, the money from your account will be deducted accordingly. This is the most traditional method of card payment; you can simply swipe the card and get access to your saved funds in a go.  

Why is My Debit Card Being Declined for Online Purchases?

It can be really frustrating when you try to make a payment at a retail shop, but your card doesn’t work, and your payment is declined after every try. In that case, you may get furious, but why it happens? However, there are a variety of reasons responsible for why your debit card is not working. Hence, we have listed them all in the below article. We have broken down the reason into three major sections. One is the general reason, the second is the misconduct of your card, and the third is the bank. Let’s see what are the reasons to why is my card declining when I have money.   

Why is My Card Declined? (General Reasons)

This section consists of the general reasons responsible for why your debit card was declined. General reasons are also quite extensive. They are general reasons but affect your payments and even the debit card. Thus, without wasting much time, let’s discuss the general reasons.

• Insufficient Funds: Your account may not have a sufficient balance; this is why you are not able to complete the payment. Thus, your payment is declining. You must check the balance of your account, then go shopping. 
• Incorrect Card Number Entered: Sometimes, you are required to enter the card number in cases when you are not swiping your card. Then, there is a possibility of why is my card declined. Hence, you must recheck the card number that you have entered. 
• Incorrect PIN or CVC: Another possible reason that can be created by your end is that you are not entering the correct PIN code, which is why your payment is declining. Here, you are required to enter the correct PIN. If you are not able to remember the exact number, then you must get into the branch of your bank and try resetting your PIN code. You can reset your PIN code through the bank’s dedicated app and ATM too.
• Technical Issues: Another possible reason why does my card keep getting declined is a technical glitch from the vendor’s end. Maybe the swiping machine you are using is not working correctly. Thus, if you try using your card at another store or on another machine, then there is a possibility that your debit card to work. 

Card Might be Responsible

In this section, we will explain the reasons for the question that you have asked yourself ‘why was my card declined’. There can be a number of glitches related to your card. We will examine every related glitch one by one in the below pointers. 

• Card Not Activated: A possible reason why is my card declined at the time of making purchases is your card’s activation issue. You may not activate your card, which is why you are having issues with declining debit card transactions. In that case, you are required to activate your card at an ATM or at the branch of your bank. After activation, you must try doing pavement and check if you are able to use your debit card. 
• The card is Expired: Maybe you didn’t notice that your card has expired. An expired card won’t allow you to proceed with your payment. Hence, you are required to get into your bank’s branch and ask for the renewal of the card.
• Damaged Card: If your card is damaged, then also you won’t be able to make a payment with your debit card. Make sure the magnetic chip and stripe are not damaged. If so, then you must contact your branch for the replacement of the card. With a new card, you will definitely be going to make payments easily and at your convenience.
• Debit Card Not Accepted: Maybe the debit card you are using is not acceptable at the specific vendor. There are many times when a business doesn’t support a specific debit card. In that case, you are required to double-check if the vendor is accepting your card or not. 

There May be a Problem at the Bank’s End

Many times the reason why is my debit card declined when I have money is the problem at the bank’s end. Maybe your bank is going through a technical error or a server problem. In that case, you can not do anything except wait for the bank to get it resolved. Let’s examine the reasons that are associated with the bank’s end.

• Bank Detects Suspicious Activity: If the bank has detected some suspicious activities, then the bank will disrupt your debit card at the moment to save you from any kind of spam and suspicious activity. If the bank notices that your card gets out of track and someone is doing a suspicious activity with your card, then your card is more likely to get blocked by the bank.
• You Reached Your Daily Spending Limit: Another possible cause for why isn’t my debit card working is that you have reached the daily spending limit, which is why you are not able to make further payments with your card.
• International Purchase Issues: To avoid suspicious activity, a bank will decline the payments made by international vendors. Thus, if you are making an international purchase, then you must inform your bank first and then go for the purchase so that your ban won’t decline your international payment. Hence, the issue ‘card was declined but I have money’ will get resolved.

How to Fix a Declined Debit Card? (Tips & Tricks)

From the above part, you have got a clear idea of ‘why my debit card declined when I have money.’ So, the time has come to get into its resolution measures. In this section, we are going to undergo some tips and tricks through which you can avoid getting declined for payments. Without further ado, let’s know all the tips and tricks.

• Keep checking your account frequently.
• You must not share your PIN and CVV.
• Keep your card to your only.
• You must report to the bank if you face any malicious activity.
• Call the bank’s helpline and get help why your card is not working.
• You can ask the bank to increase the card limit.
• Ask to unblock the card if blocked by the bank.
• Try Resetting your PIN.
• Make your purchases verified by the bank to proceed.

Alternatives to Use When Debit Card Not Working

If your debit card hasn’t worked on time, you must get furious and think about other alternative methods. But what alternative methods will actually get you out of the problem? We have covered. In this part of the blog, we are going to examine all the possible alternative methods that you can try when your debit card gets declined. If you don’t have enough money, then you can try accessing payday loans that accept prepaid accounts. Let’s check them out.

Pay With Cash

Another alternative that you may try to consider if your debit card is declining payments is paying with cash. If you can avoid using a debit card, it is paying with cash. However, cash is the most traditional way to buy any product. Hence, you can consider this way to avoid debit cards.

Use Credit Card

If you have a credit card, then you can try making payments with it, as it will be similar to making payments via a debit card. Considering credit cards can help you to finance your vast purchases. But also comes with a few risks. You must be very careful while using a credit card. However, there is another option as well if you have run out of money is the stimulus check; you can get your stimulus checks cashed and enjoy the money. 

Using Online Payment Apps

You may try making payments with some online apps allowing you to do UPI and money transfers. This is the most convenient alternative for you if your card declines your payments. The most trusted app for this that we would like to suggest is the Venmo app. You can add money in the Venmo app and make your payments more convenient. You must use this app as it is the most trusted and secure app that has been used for many years. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What do I do if my card is declined, but I have money?

You can try other alternative methods for making a purchase. You can pay via cash, online apps, or credit card. However, you must find out why my debit card was declined when I have money for the above-listed reasons in the article. By knowing the reasons, you can eliminate the glitch more efficiently.  

Q2. Why does my debit card keep getting declined even though I have money?

There are a variety of reasons why your debit card is not working. The most common reasons are: You may not have entered accurate card details, your card is damaged, maybe the issue is with the bank’s server, etc. You can check its other causes in the above article.

Q3. How do you fix a declined debit card?

There are various ways to fix the declined debit card. But before getting into its fixation, one must know why the issue is happening. If your card is damaged, then you will have to apply for a replacement of the card. If the issue is happening because of the insufficient balance, you will require adding some money to your account.

Conclusion

A debit card has come up as the most convenient way of making payments when one runs out of cash. However, you may sometimes feel a few issues with it while making payments. You may encounter the declining issue as it is the most frequent issue. Well, we have resolved this issue as well. In the above guide, we have given all the possible reasons why is my debit card declined when I have money.

Along with the reasons, we have provided you with the tricks and alternative section through which you can easily bypass the payment decline issue. Hoping this guide has resolved the issue of ‘my debit card keeps getting declined.’ If you still have any queries related to it, then you can contact us anytime.