When a payment won't go through

Nine checks that fix most declined payments, what bank declines mean, and what every error message is telling you.

Most failed payments come down to a small mismatch. Work through the checks below first — if you have an exact error message, the reference table is at the end.

Try these nine things first

1. Check the method type matches the card

   If you selected a bank account, use bank details. If you selected a card, use a card.

2. Check your name

   Spelled as it appears on the card or account.

3. Check the billing address

   Street number, apartment or unit, city, state, ZIP and country — all must match the address your bank has for that card.

4. Check the routing and account numbers

   Nine digits for the routing number. Both are on a check.

5. Check the card number

   No spaces.

6. Check the security code

   The CVV or CVC from the back of the card, or the front on American Express.

7. Check the expiration date

   MM/YY, and not in the past.

8. Ask your bank whether they blocked it

   Banks routinely block payments they do not recognize. They can clear it in a moment, and they will not do so unless you ask.

9. Try a different payment method

   If everything above checks out, use another card or bank account.

When your bank is the one saying no

Three of the most common messages are not about your account with us at all. In each case we cannot release the payment from our side — your bank has to.

Message	What happened	What to do
Issuer Declined	Your bank declined it — insufficient funds, an expired card, or another restriction	Check your balance and card details, then contact your bank
Suspected Fraud	Your bank blocked it protectively	Call your bank to confirm the payment is genuine, then retry
REJECTED CONTACT CUST	The card has been used more than twice in 24 hours	Use a different method today, or wait 24 hours after your bank clears it

When the card is not allowed on your account

Some accounts cannot be paid by credit card at all. The card networks treat these payments as debt repayment, and on those accounts the network permits a debit card but not a credit card.

If that is your account, a credit card will decline however many times you try it, and there is nothing we can release from our side. Pay from a bank account or with a debit card instead. The same is true of an HSA or FSA card on an account that is not for a medical purchase.

Your own list of methods is on the Make A Payment screen — see Accepted payment methods.

If your payment is returned after it went through

A payment can look successful and then be returned unpaid by your bank days later. What happens next depends on why it came back.

Why it came back	What we do
Not enough money in the account	We may re-attempt the same amount up to two more times. You are charged one returned payment fee for that payment
The account is closed, invalid or frozen	We do not try again. Add a different payment method
You stopped the payment, or withdrew your authorization	We do not try again, and if that method was on AutoPay we remove it. AutoPay stops until you set up a new one
We took the wrong amount or the wrong date	We correct it and originate one corrected payment. Tell us if you think this is what happened

If your payment method comes off AutoPay, nothing is paying your account. Removing the method is not the same as pausing what you owe. Check your AutoPay status and add a new method, or pay another way, before your next due date.

ACH return codes

If you paid from a bank account and it came back, your bank attached a return code to it. Ask them for the code — it is the fastest way to find out what to fix.

Below are the codes a consumer payment actually comes back as.

Code	What it means	What to do
R01	Not enough money in the account when we presented it	Fund the account. We may re-attempt, and you can also pay another way.
R02	The account is closed	Add a different payment method.
R03	Your bank cannot find an account with that number	Check the account number against a check, then save it again.
R04	The account number is not a valid format	Check the account number against a check, then save it again.
R05	The debit was sent against your account using a business payment code and you told your bank it was unauthorized	Contact us — we need to correct how the payment was sent.
R06	Our bank asked for the payment back	Contact us.
R07	You revoked your authorization for this payment method	If that was not what you intended, set up a new payment method. See AutoPay.
R08	You placed a stop payment on it	If you meant to stop only that one payment, tell us — otherwise nothing further will be taken from that account.
R09	The money is in the account but has not cleared yet	Wait for the funds to become available, then pay again.
R10	You told your bank you did not recognize us or did not authorize the debit	Contact us so we can confirm what you authorized.
R11	You authorized a payment but dispute this one — wrong amount or wrong date	Contact us. If we took the wrong amount or the wrong date, we correct it.
R12	The account moved to another bank	Add the account at your new bank.
R13	The routing number is not a valid ACH routing number	Check the 9-digit routing number against a check.
R14	The person authorized to receive payments for the account holder has died	Contact us.
R15	The account holder has died	Contact us.
R16	The account is frozen, or subject to a legal hold	Your bank has to release it. Use a different account meanwhile.
R17	Your bank rejected the entry as containing an error, or as questionable	Contact us.
R18	The payment carried an improper date	Contact us.
R19	The payment amount was missing or malformed	Contact us.
R20	The account does not accept ACH transactions — some savings and money market accounts do not	Use a checking account, a debit card, or another method.
R21	The company identification on the payment was not valid	Contact us.
R22	The individual ID number on the payment was not correct	Contact us.
R23	The credit was refused by the receiving account — this applies to a refund we sent you	Contact us so we can reissue it.
R24	Your bank treated it as a duplicate of another payment	Check your account before paying again — you may have already paid.
R29	The account is a business account and the account holder reported the debit as unauthorized	Contact us.
R34	A regulator has limited what your bank can process	Use a different account.

R05, R07, R08, R10 and R29 stop future payments from that account. When a payment comes back for any of these, we do not try again and we remove the method from AutoPay. Nothing is paying your account until you add a new one — see If your payment is returned.

Codes that are not about your payment

The ACH network uses codes up to R85. The rest never apply to a payment you made to us — they cover paper check re-presentment, international transfers, federal benefit enrollment, and messages banks send each other about a return after the fact. If your bank quotes you a code outside the table above, contact us with the code and we will tell you what it means for your account.

A $0.00 charge from us is normal

When you add a card we run a temporary $0.00 authorization, shown as UAS 8882332302, to confirm the details. It cancels automatically, usually within 3–5 business days. If it is still there after five business days, contact your bank — we have already canceled it.

Error message reference

Find the message you saw. Anything marked contact us is something we need to fix from our side.

Message	What it means and what to do
Account Closed	The bank account has been closed. Use a different account.
Auth Service unavailable	A problem on our side. Contact us.
Billing City does not match zip code	Check the city and ZIP you entered match each other.
Billing State does not match zip code	Check the state and ZIP you entered match each other.
Card not accepted by merchant, please try different card	That card type is not available on your account. See above.
Cardholder state or zip code is required	Both the state and the ZIP are needed.
Check processing temporarily offline. Please try again shortly.	A temporary system problem. Wait and try again.
Credit card has expired	The expiration date has passed. Use a current card.
Declined — Stop Payment	Your bank has a stop payment on this account. Contact your bank.
Duplicate Check	Your bank declined it as a duplicate. Contact your bank.
Error storing payment method record	The method could not be saved. Check the details and try again.
Funds cannot be released for this transaction	A hold on the card cannot be released from our side. Contact your card issuer.
Invalid account type specified	Select either checking or savings.
Invalid Card Look Up	Try again. If it keeps happening, contact us.
Invalid card number	Check the number matches your card. Do not include spaces.
Invalid check format specified	Contact us.
Invalid checking account number	Check the account number against your check.
Invalid expiration date	Use MM/YY, matching your card.
Invalid Routing number	Check the 9-digit routing number against your check.
Invalid schedule	Contact us.
Invalid transaction data	Something is missing or incorrect. Review every field.
Issuer Declined	Your bank declined it. See above.
Merchant does not accept this type of card	That card type is not enabled on your account — see Accepted payment methods.
Merchant does not accept transactions from (country)	A card issued in that country cannot be used. Try another.
Payment details missing	Card or bank details are incomplete. Fill in every required field.
Payment method is not a check	The account type or check format was set on a card. Review the details.
Payment method not added because verification returned…	The card did not pass verification. Contact us.
Processing error, please try again	Submit the payment again.
Processor temporarily unavailable	A temporary problem at the processor. Wait and try again.
Received error from check processor	Contact us.
REJECTED CONTACT CUST	The card has been used more than twice in 24 hours. See above.
Requested payment method not found	Reselect your payment method.
Session timed out, please re-login	Sign in again and retry.
Stolen/Forged Checks	Your bank has reported stolen or forged checks on this account. Contact your bank.
Suspected Fraud	Your bank blocked it. See above.
System temporarily unavailable	Wait and try again. If it persists, contact us.
Temporarily unable to process transaction. Please try again shortly.	A temporary problem on our side. Wait and try again.
Transaction Declined	Your bank declined it without giving a reason. Contact your bank.
Transaction exceeds maximum amount	Your payment is above the limit for that method. See Payment limits.
Unable to apply changes, please retry	Try again. If it persists, contact us.
Unable to create customer payment method from requested transaction	Check every field is complete and correct.
Unable to load payment method	A temporary problem. Save the payment method again.
Unable to locate requested payment method	The method was removed. Enter it again and save.
Unable to perform requested action	A problem on our side. Contact us.
Unable to process transaction	Review your payment method and try again.
Unable to retrieve list of banks	Try again. If it persists, contact us.
You have tried too many card numbers, please contact merchant	Too many different cards have been attempted. Contact us.
Your billing information does not match your credit card. Please check with your bank.	The billing address does not match what your bank holds for that card.

Still stuck

Contact us

Have your Account Number and the exact wording of the message to hand.

If you are racing a promotional deadline, do not leave a failed payment until the last day. Sorting out a decline with your bank can take longer than you expect. See Promotional offers.