Why did my payment fail or my card get declined?

A donation usually fails because your bank declined the card, the card details or expiry date were wrong, there weren't enough funds, or your bank asked for extra verification that wasn't completed. A failed payment is never charged, and trying another card or calling your bank usually solves it.

It's frustrating when you're trying to do something kind and the payment won't go through. Let's figure out what happened.

First, were you charged?

No. A failed payment is never charged. If you see a message that your payment didn't go through, no money was taken for that attempt.

And if you closed the payment window before paying, nothing was charged either. The attempt is cleaned up automatically.

Common reasons a payment fails

Your bank declined the card

This is the most common reason. Whether a card is declined is decided by your bank, not by Pageraise or the creator. Banks decline payments for all sorts of reasons, including their own fraud checks.

What to do: try another card, or contact your bank and ask them to allow the payment, then try again.

Insufficient funds

If there isn't enough available on the card or account, the bank will decline it.

What to do: try a different card or payment method.

Wrong card details

A typo in the card number, expiry date, or security code will cause the payment to fail.

What to do: re-enter your details carefully and try again.

The card has expired

An expired card can't be charged.

What to do: use a current card. If this happened on a monthly donation, update your card in My Donations. Our monthly donations guide shows how.

Your bank asked for extra verification

Sometimes your bank asks you to confirm a payment, for example in your banking app. If that step isn't completed, the payment fails.

What to do: try again and watch for the verification prompt from your bank.

Reasons that have nothing to do with your card

Sometimes the issue is on the fundraise side:

• The fundraise is paused or ended. Paused and ended fundraises stop accepting donations. The creator can set it active again at any time.
• The creator's Stripe account isn't ready. Creators need to finish connecting Stripe before they can receive donations, and Stripe sometimes asks them for more information. If that's not done, payments can't go through.

If you're the creator and your supporters are seeing failures, check Linked Accounts and our guide on how to connect Stripe and get paid.

Try a different payment method

You can pay with credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other methods Stripe offers in your region. If one isn't working, another often will. Some methods, like Klarna or Cash App Pay, briefly send you to the provider's page to finish paying and then bring you back, so make sure you complete that step. For a full walkthrough, see how donating works.

Still stuck?

If you're signed in, click the Help button in the corner of the screen and ask Paige, our assistant. Paige can help you work out what went wrong and bring in someone from the team if you need a person.

Common questions

Why was my card declined?

Your bank decides whether to approve a payment. Common causes are insufficient funds, wrong card details, an expired card, or a verification step that wasn't completed. Trying another card or contacting your bank usually solves it.

Was I charged for a failed payment?

No. A failed payment is never charged.

I closed the payment window by accident. Was I charged?

No. If you close the payment window before paying, nothing is charged and the attempt is cleaned up automatically.

Why can't I donate to this fundraise at all?

The fundraise may be paused or ended, or the creator's Stripe account may not be ready to receive money yet.

Can I try a different payment method?

Yes. Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other methods Stripe offers in your region are all supported.