13 Reasons Why Your Credit Card Got Declined

Your Chase credit card could have been declined for several reasons, such as the card not being activated or not having enough available credit. The best way to find out exactly why your card was declined is to give customer service a call at (800) 432-3117.

Common reasons why Chase credit cards get declined:

• The card is not activated: You can't use your Chase credit card until you activate it.
• There's not enough available credit: Your purchase might have exceeded the amount of money you're allowed to spend on the card.
• Suspected fraud: If Chase's system flags a transaction as suspicious and possibly fraudulent, they may prevent it from going through until you confirm that you authorized it.
• Delinquency: If you are very behind on paying your bills, Chase could stop your card from being used for any new purchases.
• The account is closed: If your card is declined, it could mean Chase closed your account, though they should have notified you if they did.

It is also possible that the reason your Chase credit card was declined isn't the fault of either you or Chase. Your card could be broken or the merchant's payment terminal could not be working properly. But no matter what the situation is, you'll probably get the quickest answer by talking to customer service.

It's worth pointing out that the word “declined” is also sometimes used to mean a credit card application being denied. If your Chase credit card application was declined, there are a number of possible reasons.

Reasons why your Chase credit card application was denied:

• Low credit score
• Insufficient income
• Too many recent applications
• Too many open Chase credit card accounts  
• Poor payment history

You should receive an e-mail detailing the reason(s) why your application was denied. And if you think the reason why your Chase card application was declined is not accurate, you could request a reconsideration of your application.

Your Wells Fargo credit card could have been declined for several reasons, such as the card not being activated or not having enough available credit. The best way to find out exactly why your card was declined is to give customer service a call at (800) 642-4720.

Common reasons why Wells Fargo credit cards get declined:

• The card is not activated: You can't use your Wells Fargo card until you activate it.
• There's not enough available credit: Your purchase might have exceeded the amount of money you're allowed to spend on the card.
• Suspected fraud: If Wells Fargo's system flags a transaction as suspicious and possibly fraudulent, they may prevent it from going through until you confirm that you authorized it.
• "Turning off" the account: You can temporarily stop your card from being used for new purchases, but you'll have to turn it back on again after.
• Delinquency: If you are very behind on paying your bills, Wells Fargo could stop your card from being used for any new purchases.
• The account is closed: If your card is declined, it could mean Wells Fargo closed your account, though they should have notified you if they did.

It is also possible that the reason your Wells Fargo credit card was declined isn't the fault of either you or Wells Fargo. Your card could be broken or the merchant's payment terminal could not be working properly. But no matter what the situation is, you'll probably get the quickest answer by talking to customer service.

It's worth pointing out that the word “declined” is also sometimes used to mean a credit card application being denied. If your Wells Fargo card application was declined, there are a number of possible reasons.

Reasons why your Wells Fargo card application was denied:

• Low credit score
• Insufficient income
• Too many recent applications
• Too many open Wells Fargo accounts  
• Poor payment history

You should receive an e-mail detailing the reason(s) why your application was denied. And if you think the reason why your Wells Fargo card application was declined is not accurate, you could request a reconsideration of your application.

Your Capital One credit card was probably declined because of a lack of available credit, a defective card, a broken card reader, or fraud concerns. Other possible reasons are an expired card number or a new card that has yet to be activated. And if you're behind on your payments, Capital One may temporarily lock – or even close – the account, preventing you from making any new purchases.

Common reasons why Capital One credit cards get declined:

• Lack of credit: If you don't have enough available credit to cover your purchase, it may be declined. Your available credit can be impacted not only by purchases and payments, but also by holds placed by certain merchants, such as hotels.
• Defective card: A damaged credit card might prevent the merchant's machine from reading it properly.
• Broken reader: The merchant's credit card reader might have malfunctioned.
• Fraud concerns: If you make an unusually big transaction or spend money in another state or country, Capital One might stop your card from being used until they confirm that the transaction is legitimate.
• Expired card: You cannot use your card past the expiration month listed on the front or back of the card. Capital One should send you a new card a few weeks prior to the expiration date.
• New card: You'll need to activate your credit card before using it.
• Delinquency: Capital One might stop you from making new purchases until you get current on your payments.

Regardless of exactly why your Capital One card was declined, you can call customer service to remedy the issue. Capital One should be able to lift any holds, activate the account, or send you a replacement card. However, they may request a payment to bring the account current or take other actions, depending on your situation.

It's worth pointing out that the word “declined” is also sometimes referring to a credit card application being denied. If your Capital One card application was declined, there are a number of possible reasons.

Reasons why your Capital One card application was denied:

• Low credit score
• Insufficient income
• Too many recent applications
• Too many open Capital One accounts  
• Poor payment history

You should receive an e-mail detailing the reason(s) why your application was denied. Also, if you think the reason why your Capital One card application was declined is not accurate, you could request a reconsideration of your application.

Your Amazon.com Credit Card application could have been declined for multiple reasons, such as having too much existing debt, having a low disposable income, or not meeting the credit score requirements, among other things.

The Amazon.com Credit Card requires good credit or better (a credit score of 700+) for approval, but meeting this requirement alone, does not guarantee approval.

Possible reasons why your Amazon.com Credit Card was declined:

• Too little credit history or too low of a credit score 
• High amounts of debt
• Low income
• A lot of recent credit inquiries
• Accounts in collections
• Bankruptcy

Nevertheless, you can call the issuer's reconsideration number at (888) 609-7805. Reconsideration is a long shot, but it's worth trying if your circumstances have changed or you need to explain something on your application. Make sure to review the reasons detailed on your denial letter and prepare to make your case before calling. 

The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code is a 4-digit code developed by the federal government to classify businesses based on their type of activity.

The SIC code has mostly been replaced by the 6-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code but is still used by some companies and government agencies, like by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

SIC codes are mainly used:

• By companies to identify existing and potential customers by industry
• To classify companies for tax purposes
• By banks and creditors for industry identification, when extending credit
• For targeted marketing

“Pick Up Card” is an electronic payment code from the card's issuer declining the transaction and instructing the merchant to retain the card. The main reasons why a bank might refuse to authorize a transaction are:

• The card was reported lost
• The card was reported stolen
• The transaction was flagged as fraudulent

The first thing you should do when encountering a “pick up card” code is to call your issuer to resolve the problem. If you cannot clarify the situation, you might need to use an alternate payment method.

There are several common reasons why your credit card cash advances was declined, such as:

• Insufficient credit limit: If you have already reached your credit limit, you may not be able to take out a cash advance.
• Cash advance limit: Your credit card may have a separate cash advance limit that is lower than your credit limit. If you have reached your cash advance limit, then you won't be able to withdraw any more cash.
• Late payments or over the limit: If you have a history of late payments or have exceeded your credit limit in the past, your credit card issuer may decline your cash advance request.
• Bank or ATM issues: The bank or ATM you are using to withdraw the cash may be experiencing technical difficulties or may not accept your credit card.
• Suspicious activity: If your credit card issuer suspects fraudulent activity on your account, they may decline the cash advance request as a security measure.

It's best to contact your credit card issuer to get more information about why your cash advance was declined and how you can resolve the issue. You might be able to reach them through your online banking account. Or, you can call the number located on the back of your card.

Your credit card was declined due to scrubbing because the payment processor used for the transaction detected suspicious activity on your card. The way that fraud scrubbing technology works, is that it can access certain information on your credit card (such as previous transactions) to forecast the likelihood that the transaction is fraudulent or secure.

So, for example, a credit card transaction can be declined due to scrubbing if:

• The shipping address does not match the billing address
• A transaction originates from an IP address that is banned or not recognized
• There are multiple previous failed transactions on your card

How To Avoid Having Your Credit Card Declined Due To Scrubbing

• Avoid exceptionally large purchases
• Do not make multiple transactions in a short amount of time
• Do not consistently enter the wrong PIN or other card identification numbers when making a transaction
• Do not use a VPN when making an online purchase
• Avoid online shopping when traveling

If your credit card keeps getting declined due to scrubbing, it would probably be best to contact your issuer. They should be able to help you remedy the situation or send you a new card.