How to avoid declined credit card transactions | finder.com.au
finder.com.au

How to avoid declined credit card transactions

Understand why your credit card may have been declined and what you can do to avoid it. 

Lady using credit card to pay at supermarket EFTPOS terminal.
Sally McMullen
Sally McMullen
Updated
Fact checked

We’re reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We don’t compare all products in the market, but we’re working on it!

Use this guide to understand why your credit card purchase may be declined and what you can do to avoid it. If your card has been declined, you'll also find a list of contact details for popular Australian banks so you can resolve the issue with your credit issuer.

5 reasons your credit card transaction may have been declined

There are a few reasons why your credit card may have been declined. Some of the common causes include:

1. Exceeded your credit limit

Every credit card has a maximum credit limit. While some credit cards will let you spend beyond the limit and will charge you an overdraft fee, others will decline the transaction if you spend beyond the amount. You can keep track of your credit limit with your monthly statements or on-the-go via your online banking account or banking app. If you require more credit limit, you can contact your card issuer for a credit limit increase. However, whether or not your request is accepted and how much credit you're given access to is subject to approval.

2. Suspected fraudulent transaction

If your credit card issuer notices suspicious activity on your account, it may block your account for security purposes. For example, if you usually only use your card for small, everyday transactions and then use your card to make multiple large purchases in one day, your issuer may put a freeze on your account and decline the transaction. Your bank will usually contact you if this happens and unfreeze the account if you confirm that it was a legitimate transaction made by you.

If you're planning to use the card to make a big purchase or another transaction that may be considered unusual, you should notify your card issuer so they're aware in advance and don't freeze your account.

3. Spent beyond your daily limit

Some credit cards set a daily spending limit and your card will be declined if you spend beyond this. You can contact your card issuer or check the product disclosure statement to confirm if there is a daily limit in place. If there is and you have a big-ticket purchase to make, you may be able to ask your card issuer to increase this daily limit.

4. Using your credit card overseas

If you're planning to use your credit card overseas, you should contact your card provider to notify them of your travel dates and where you're travelling to. If your issuer spots an international transaction on your account, they might suspect that your card is being used for a fraudulent transaction, decline the purchase and block your account.

5. EFTPOS offline

EFTPOS machines use the phone network to communicate with the banks to verify and authorise your transactions. If there is a system outage at the point of sale or with the bank's server, the transaction may be declined. If this is the case, you may be asked to sign the tax invoice for authorisation.

How to use EFTPOS response codes to understand why your credit card was declined

When your card is declined, the EFTPOS machine receives a code from the bank handling the transaction that describes why the transaction wasn't approved. These include an incorrect PIN, expired card and suspected fraud. Here are some examples of terminal error messages from Commonwealth Bank.

Terminal response codeDescription
55Incorrect PIN
54Expired card
59Suspected fraud
S1Amount greater than credit limit

These examples are taken from Commonwealth Bank documentation, keep in mind that these may vary from bank to bank, and different EFTPOS machines at your chosen retailer.

Who to contact when your credit card transaction is declined

If you're unsure why your card was declined, you can contact your card issuer directly to confirm why and resolve the issue. We've provided a list of contact details for some of the credit card issuers in Australia in the table below.

Credit card providerPhone numberAvailabilities

ANZ

13 13 14

24/7

Bank Australia

13 28 88

Monday to Friday - 8am to 8pm

Saturday - 9am to 2pm

Bankwest

13 17 19

24/7

Bank of Melbourne

13 22 66

24/7

Bank of Queensland

1300 55 72 72

24/7

BankSA

13 33 22

24/7

Citi

13 24 84

24/7

Coles

1300 306 397

24/7

Commonwealth Bank

13 22 21

6am to 10pm

CUA

13 32 82

Monday to Friday - 8am to 8pm

Saturday - 8am to 4pm

HSBC

132 152

24/7

Jetstar

1300 150 100

24/7

Macquarie Bank

02 8232 3333

24/7

NAB

13 22 65

Monday to Friday - 8am to 7pm

Saturday - 7am to 6pm

Sunday - 9am - 6pm

Qantas Money

1300 922 700

24/7

St.George

13 33 30

Monday to Saturday - 8am to 8pm

Suncorp

13 11 55

24/7

Virgin Money

13 37 39

24/7

Westpac

13 20 32

8am - 8pm

Woolworths Cards

1300 10 1234

24/7

Images: Getty

Back to top

More guides on Finder

Ask an Expert

You are about to post a question on finder.com.au:

  • Do not enter personal information (eg. surname, phone number, bank details) as your question will be made public
  • finder.com.au is a financial comparison and information service, not a bank or product provider
  • We cannot provide you with personal advice or recommendations
  • Your answer might already be waiting – check previous questions below to see if yours has already been asked

Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our Terms of Use, Disclaimer & Privacy Policy and Privacy & Cookies Policy.

12 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    DianaJuly 30, 2016

    My Amex Black card is not functioning overseas..it has been declined a few times since leaving home. Our Li led MasterCard is okay. Please let me know URGENTLY VIA EMAIL why it is nit functioning.

    Reply
      Avatarfinder Customer Care
      MayAugust 1, 2016Staff

      Hi Diana,

      Thank you for your inquiry. Please note that you’ve come through to finder.com.au we are an Australian financial comparison website and general information service and we do not represent any credit card company

      Just to confirm, what’s the name of the credit card company that issued your AMEX card? Since we do not have access to your credit card account, you’d be best if you contact your credit card issuer directly so they can advise why your credit card was declined.

      Cheers,
      May

      Reply
    Default Gravatar
    MAugust 30, 2015

    I have an eftpos debit card and can use my savings and current account with a PIN. Can I use it to access my credit account?I tried but the transaction was declined.
    The card has an embedded chip.

    Reply
      Avatarfinder Customer Care
      JonathanSeptember 1, 2015Staff

      Hi M E, thanks for your inquiry!

      To access a credit account you will need an eligible credit card. It would be best to contact your bank directly to access your credit account.

      Cheers,

      Jonathan

      Reply
    Default Gravatar
    amandaApril 15, 2015

    My westpac debit card said declined but i had my pay in there. Could it be due to my account was overdrawn for 2 weeks but its now in credit? How do i use my card now?

    Reply
      Avatarfinder Customer Care
      ElizabethApril 15, 2015Staff

      Hi Amanda,

      Thanks for your question.

      You might want to log in to your Internet banking account and check you had sufficient funds to make the transaction. If your account was overdrawn you were likely charged fees (Westpac charges $9) which may have taken more funds out of your account than you realised. If your account was in credit and you had sufficient funds to complete the transaction, you might want to get in contact with Westpac directly to discuss why the transaction didn’t go through.

      I hope this has helped.

      Thanks,

      Elizabeth

      Reply
    Default Gravatar
    michaelJanuary 19, 2014

    Was declined 2 times last Friday from online companies came back declined code 05 , I rang bank and they said there was sufficient funds and no block on my card ,I did not exceed limit and phone lines were not down no won can give me answer as to why.

    Reply
      Avatarfinder Customer Care
      MattJanuary 20, 2014Staff

      Hi Michael

      Thanks for your message and sorry to hear you’ve been having problems.

      Perhaps there was other circumstances in place with the error code 05. Is your card working now?

      Thanks
      Matt

      Reply
    Default Gravatar
    JasonNovember 5, 2013

    Why doesn’t your bank contact you first before they block you card in regards to the odd spending pattern?

    Reply
      Avatarfinder Customer Care
      JacobNovember 6, 2013Staff

      Hi Jason.

      Thanks for your question.

      It’s just a security thing. If you don’t let your bank know about your travel plans, the bank has to be quick to block your account if they suspect a suspicious transaction. The bank or lender wants your funds to be secure so as soon as they sense something odd they block the card right away.

      Let the bank know about your travel plans if you want to stop this from happening to you while you’re overseas.

      I hope this helps.

      Reply
    Default Gravatar
    samDecember 23, 2012

    i want to know why my transaction on atm using my card is displaying decline transaction

    Reply
      Avatarfinder Customer Care
      JacobDecember 25, 2012Staff

      Hi Sam. Best to contact your lending institution.
      Jacob.

      Reply
Go to site