Online payment has made selling and buying very easy and straightforward, and the introduction of virtual dollar cards made things more interesting as you can use those cards to shop on platforms where local cards are not accepted. As a result of online payment, eCommerce businesses are now sprouting up and making waves. However, there are sometimes that you just bump into a rocky road when trying to make payment online using your virtual dollar cards.
This article has been written to help you identify the most common reasons why your virtual dollar card payments are being declined in some cases and what to do to resolve the issue.
Below are the 7 reasons why your Nigerian virtual dollar card is being declined
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#1. Card Flagged for Suspicious Activity.
Virtual cards are delicate and the companies offering these cards take strict measures to see that their clients are always being protected. This is why, at the slightest notice of any suspicious activity, your card will decline your access.
Even if the activity was performed by you. The reason behind this is that most virtual cards are being managed by a high AI bot and this bot does exactly what it is programmed to do.
Suspicious activity may be as simple as you trying to make a purchase from an unknown source or trying to spend more than your usual amount on one purchase.
How to Avoid This.
Before performing any activity that you usually don’t perform on your virtual dollar card platform, ensure you contact the providers through an online chat or email. But if your account is already flagged; you can put a call across to them and do some security verification or KYC to get things rolling again.
#2. Having Insufficient Funds in Your Account.
Sometimes, most people don’t even bother checking their virtual account balance. I get it, the issue maybe because of the process of always logging in to the platform. This is why most virtual platforms try to provide mobile apps for easy access.
When you have insufficient funds in your account, your card will always be declined.
How to Avoid This
Always check your balance to know when you are running low on cash, and if you are low on cash, do not make purchases above what you have left. You can check if the platform you are using has a mobile app, you can download the app to have easy access.
#3. Using the wrong personal identification number (PIN).
This is a common issue with most virtual dollar card users, they easily forget their PIN and when they are about to make payment, they enter the wrong PIN. By doing this, they get their cards declined, the card may even be permanently disabled if you try too many times without any success.
I know one of the reasons for this is when the card is not used very often, you tend to forget the PIN, and when you finally decide to use it, the card will be declined.
How to Avoid This:
Keep your card PIN in a safe place where you can easily locate in case you forgot it.
Contact the platform you are using to help you with a PIN reset.
Avoid using too many PINs for your cards.
#4. When You Exceed Your Daily Spending Limit.
All virtual dollar card has a transaction spending limit to allocate to you on daily basis. If you exceed your daily spending limit and still decide to do another transaction, your virtual dollar cards will be declined.
Most people don’t know what their daily spending limits are, for some platforms, this info is usually provided in the settings area, under the transaction limit area. You can check it or contact the platform to tell you what your limits are.
How to Avoid This:
You need to ask your virtual dollar card providers about your transaction limit, they should be able to give that information.
You can also check the platform to see if there is any write-up containing information about it.
Read Also: Top Nigerian Fintech Apps to Get A Virtual Dollar Card for Online Payments
#5. Card Not Accepted.
Not all virtual dollar cards are been accepted by all merchants. There are some that have wide coverage but some may not, you need to do thorough research about the card you are planning to use before you register with them. If the virtual dollar card is not accepted by the merchant you are trying to purchase from, it will be declined.
How to Avoid This:
Always find out if the providers of the virtual dollar card can be accepted by any platform before registering with the company.
#6. Not Providing the Right Personal Information.
When you are registering your virtual dollar account, you need to ensure that the information you are providing is consistent. Any discrepancy in data will mean that you have entered the wrong information. This could be seen as a suspicious move and your card will be declined for this.
Sometimes, you might be asked for a ZIP code, answer a security question, etc. always provide the correct details if you want your card purchase to be successful.
How to Avoid This:
The information you entered while registering and the information you entered while making any purchase should be the same.
If you are not too sure, contact your card providers to help you out.
#7. Trying to Use Expired Card.
All cards have an expiring date. Just because it is a virtual card does not mean that you should care less about its expiring date. It is as important as you making that successful purchase. Trying to use your card when it has expired will lead to card decline.
How to Avoid This:
Know when your card will expire and when it is about to expire, get a new one to stay in business.
Read Also: How to Start Accepting Bitcoin Payments In Your Ecommerce Store: The Top Payment Processors
Conclusion
There are several reasons that may lead to card decline, but the good news is that you can always rectify any of the issues if you follow due process.
Using online virtual cards is not the same as using your local debit card. The virtual card is stricter and provide more security and check to ensure that fraudulent acts are being minimized. This is why you need to be extra careful not to do anything that will make your account look suspicious.
Also, always make sure you have a backup place/card as you don’t want to get stranded when your card has been declined. This is because sometimes it may take longer than expected to get the issue resolved. But with a backup plan, you can always switch to the backup pending when the issue is being resolved
