What to Do If Your Debit Card Doesn’t Work?

From time to time, some people have a problem paying with a debit card in the Czech Republic. One of our clients experienced the same situation while trying to pay for some of our services. We can agree that having a declined card is not ideal, especially when it’s necessary to pay now, or you don’t have the possibility to pay with cash (for instance, because you’re in another country). That’s why we would like to share with you some tips on how to solve the card problem!

The main advice – stay calm!

Yes, it’s not the best situation when your card is declined. But don’t get stressed and keep your mind clear. Think about the possible reasons. In any case, it always works out 🙂

There are a few common reasons why your debit card could be declined. One could be a miscommunication between you and the credit card issuer. Or, it could be due to changes in your banking account. Here we have prepared a list of possible issues with paying by card:

  • Wrong card type

Some places don’t accept all card types. Although VISA is accepted mostly everywhere, a cardholder of VISA Electron could still have a problem with online payment. Double-check which card is accepted to avoid this issue.

  • Card is expired

Check the expiration date on your debit card. If the expiration date has passed, that would explain why it’s not possible to pay with it. To solve this problem, you just need to get a new card from your card issuer and activate it.

  • The issue with your desktop/browser

The problem can also be with your desktop or browser (for instance, the cache overload). In this situation, try to process a payment from the other device or browser.

 

A sample of the payment issue
  • Your account has been flagged for fraud

Banks are constantly monitoring your transactions to be sure they fit the pattern of your typical purchases. Anything outside your normal spending habits could be flagged as fraud and cause your debit card to be declined. We recommend contacting your bank to solve this problem.

  • Increase the daily limit for purchases

Sometimes the reason can be found in your bank account settings! Check your limit of payments to make sure that you haven’t gone over the daily limit for purchases. Remember, if you’d like to make a change to your limits, it might take a day for the bank system to process your request.

  • Technical issue

Online payments can sometimes be declined purely because of an issue with the payment system, for example, with a 3-D secure protocol. In this case, we suggest to use other payment options or try again in a couple of hours or the next day.

  • International spending

For security, some banks automatically decline a transaction for international payments. For instance, when you have a card from Germany and you suddenly make a purchase in Egypt, it will set off alarm bells.

Having your debit card declined is always a possibility, even if you keep your debit card in good standing. We recommend always carrying at least two forms of payment with you, e.g. a credit card and cash. In case your online transaction is declined, try to use another debit or credit card. We hope these tips will be helpful for you! If you want to set up a Czech bank account to avoid problems with international transactions and commissions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Yelyzaveta Romanova

Dear readers, my name is Lisa. As a foreign student, I would like to share with you some useful information about living abroad, give some tips on how to enjoy your stay in a foreign country and feel like at home. Enjoy your reading!

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