How To Prevent Your Card From Getting Declined
If a merchant declines your credit card, it’s important to contact the card-issuing company to find out why. It could be a mistake or there could be a legitimate reason. Either way, you need to know what’s going on to figure out what to do next.
Author:Frazer PughReviewer:Gordon DickersonAug 15, 202247 Shares1.5K Views
If a merchant declines your credit card, it’s important to contact the card-issuing company to find out why. It could be a mistake or there could be a legitimate reason. Either way, you need to know what’s going on to figure out what to do next.
If you’ve gone over your limit, perhaps it’s time to look into some best personal loans. We’ll talk about some other things you can do to prevent your card from getting declined in the following article.
Know Your Credit Limit
You probably know the credit limit on your card, but maybe you’ve hit it without realizing it. That can trigger a merchant to reject the card.
To prevent your card from being declined for hitting your credit limit again, you’ll need to keep better track of how much you owe. You must pay off at least some of your debt on that card before using it again.
If this occurs often, credit card debt consolidation may be a good option. If you’ve hit your credit limit on multiple cards, consolidating that debt into a single card with a single monthly payment can make the repayment process a lot simpler. It’s worth considering if you can find a lending entity that will extend a loan offer where you get a better interest rate than you’re currently paying on your existing debts.
Check If There are Holds on Your Card
You might think that you have enough credit left on your card to pay for something, but a merchant rejects the card. In this case, a hold might have been placed on your card for a previous purchase. If you’re close to your credit limit, that hold might not allow you to use that card until it’s lifted.
Hotels and car rental companies are notorious for putting monetary holds on credit cards. Usually, they will lift this within a few days. If you note a hold on your card placed by a hotel or car rental company, remember the amount. Doing so can keep you from getting that card declined by another merchant while you wait for the hold to dissipate.
Don’t Use Deactivated or Expired Cards
A merchant can also reject a card because it’s expired or deactivated. Typically, a credit card company will send you a new card in the mail just before the current one expires. If you try to use the expired card without realizing it, a merchant can decline it.
You might deactivate a card because you suspect fraudulent activity on it. If you do, and then try to use that card again instead of the new one the company sends you in the mail, a merchant will reject it. You can avoid this by activating and using the new card and shredding the old one.
Preventing Your Card from Being Declined is Possible
Often, you can prevent a card from being declined by keeping track of what’s happening with it. For instance, you can ensure the card has not passed the expiration date and that you haven’t deactivated it.
If you use a card for certain purchases, like hotel stays or vehicle rentals, you might see a hold on that card. The hold can put you at your credit limit. If you’re patient, it should disappear within a few days.
Being at your credit limit means you can’t use that card anymore. Keep track of when you’re nearing your limit and pay off some or all of the card balance to give yourself more room to spend.
These actions should prevent merchants from rejecting your card in most instances.
Frazer Pugh
Author
Gordon Dickerson
Reviewer
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