Most credit card payments process quickly and without issue. However when banks do decline a charge the reason given is often opaque and hard to understand. Here's a quick guide to the most common failure reasons, what they mean, and how to resolve them.
How Credit Card Failures Work
When a client submits a credit card payment, the request goes to their bank for authorization in real time. If the bank approves it, the payment goes through immediately. If the bank declines it, the payment fails on the spot and the client sees an error message. Unlike ACH payments, there's no waiting period — you know the outcome right away.
Most failures are caused by something on the client's bank side, not a Check Cherry issue. The decline codes banks return are often vague by design — banks intentionally keep the reasons generic to avoid giving fraudsters a roadmap. The exception is a payment blocked by fraud screening before it reaches the bank, covered under Blocked as High Risk below.
Common Decline Reasons
Insufficient Funds
The card doesn't have enough available balance or credit to cover the charge. The client should try a different card or contact their bank. If it's a debit card, they may need to wait until funds are available.
Generic Decline
The bank declined the charge but didn't tell us the specific reason — this is actually the most common type of decline. It often means the bank's automated fraud system flagged something about the transaction (an unusual amount, an unfamiliar merchant, a recent string of purchases), but it can also indicate an account issue the bank hasn't disclosed. The fastest fix is for the client to call the number on the back of their card and ask them to approve the charge, then retry. Once the bank clears it on their end, the payment usually goes through without issue. A different card will also work in the meantime.
Do Not Honor
One of the most common decline messages, and one of the vaguest. The bank is refusing the charge without giving a reason. It typically means their fraud filters blocked the transaction — this is especially common with online purchases, larger amounts, or charges from a merchant the client hasn't used before. It can also point to an issue with the account standing. Retrying the same card usually won't work until the client contacts their bank. They should call the number on the back of the card, confirm the charge is legitimate, and ask them to let it through. A different card is the quickest workaround while they sort it out.
Expired Card
The card is past its expiration date, or the expiration date entered doesn't match what the bank has on file. The client should check the date printed on their physical card and re-enter it, or switch to a current card.
Incorrect Card Details
One or more of the card details — card number, security code (CVC), ZIP code, or billing address — doesn't match what the bank has on file. The client should double-check each field and try again. A single wrong digit will cause the payment to fail.
Fraudulent
The bank flagged the charge as suspicious and declined it. This can happen with larger purchases or when the transaction looks out of pattern for that account. The client should contact their card issuer directly to clear the flag, or try a different card.
Blocked as High Risk
This one works differently from the rest of the list. Before a payment ever reaches the client's bank, it runs through fraud screening. If the transaction scores as high risk, it is blocked on the spot and the bank never sees it. On the payment detail page you will see a reason of "Highest Risk Level" and a network status of "Not Sent To Network."
Because the bank was never involved, the usual advice does not apply here. Calling the card issuer will not clear it, and retrying the same card produces the same block. The client needs to use a different card or payment method. Screening weighs signals like how the card has behaved across many businesses, whether the billing details match, and where the payment came from, so a card that works fine elsewhere can still be blocked on a given charge.
Transaction Limit / Card Velocity Exceeded
The client has hit a usage limit their bank places on the card — but not necessarily because they're out of money. Banks set velocity limits to protect against fraud, capping things like the number of transactions per day, the total spent in a 24-hour window, or how many times a card can be used at the same merchant. This often surprises clients because the card has plenty of available credit. Waiting a few hours and retrying often works. Calling the bank to lift the limit is another option. Using a different card is the quickest workaround.
Authentication Required
The bank needs to verify it's really the cardholder before approving the charge — often via a text message, app prompt, or PIN. The client should complete the verification step their bank requests, then retry the payment.
Processing Error
Something went wrong while processing the payment — this is usually a temporary issue on the network or processor side, not with the card itself. The client should wait a moment and try again. If it keeps happening, reach out to support via the chat bubble in the lower right.
Call Issuer
The bank wants to speak with the cardholder before approving the charge. The client should call the number on the back of their card, let the bank know they're trying to make a payment, and then retry once the bank has cleared it.
Card Not Supported
The card type, currency, or a restriction on the card prevents the transaction from going through. This can happen with certain prepaid cards, international cards, or card types that Check Cherry Payments doesn't accept. The client should try a different card.
What Happens Automatically
When a credit card payment fails, here is what happens on the Check Cherry side:
If the failed payment was part of auto-pay (a scheduled payment plan), auto-pay is automatically disabled to prevent repeated failed charges. Both you and the client are notified through the automated 'Scheduled Auto Pay Payment Failed' message. You control who that message goes to under Manage > Automated Messages, and you can add yourself or all admins as a recipient.
What You Should Do
When you spot a failed payment, here's the best way to handle it: