If your Wise card payment was declined, here’s how to find out why and fix the issue.
On app or web:
Go to your transaction feed
Tap on the declined transaction to see the specific reason it failed
Common reasons you might see in your account
| Reason for decline | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Your card isn't activated | You need to activate your Wise card before you can use it for the first time. Check if you're in a country where you need to activate your Wise card manually and how to do it. |
| Not enough money in your account | Check your account balance to make sure you have enough money to cover the payment. |
| Your card is frozen | You can't use your card if it's frozen. You can unfreeze it easily in your Wise account. |
| You've reached your spending limits | There are limits to how much you can spend and withdraw. You can check or change your limits at any time. |
| Chip and PIN payments aren't enabled | You need to enable Chip and PIN payments in your account for some online or in-person payments. Learn how to enable them. |
| ATM isn't compatible with your card | Some ATMs, particularly in the US, may not be compatible with your card as they only support magstripe payments. Learn how to enable magstripe withdrawals. |
| Contactless payment isn't working | If a contactless payment is declined, try using Chip and PIN for that transaction. This can reactivate contactless payments if they were blocked for security reasons. |
| You entered incorrect details | The decline reason in your transaction feed might say something like 'Incorrect CVV' or 'Invalid expiry date'. If it does, double-check your card details and try again. |
| Payment was blocked for security | We sometimes block a payment to protect your account. If this happens and you recognise the transaction, please try again. If you don't recognise it, freeze your card immediately and report the issue to us. |
Other possible issues
| Issue | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Your online payment failed at the security step (3DS) | For some online payments, you’ll be asked to approve the payment from your Wise app, or using a code sent by SMS or call. This is called a 3D Secure (3DS) online payment and is an added level of security some websites ask for. Once you approve it, your payment will go through as normal. Some websites only accept locally issued cards. So if your online payment gets declined, that might be why. |
| You've recently moved country | If you've updated your address to a new country, your old card may not work for certain payments. You might need to order a new card. Check where cards are available. |
| Spending in an unsupported country | There are a few countries where your Wise card won't work. If you're in one of these locations, you'll need to use a different card. |
| The declined transaction isn't showing | If a declined payment doesn't appear in your transaction feed, it means the request never reached us, usually due to a connection issue at the terminal. Please try the payment again or contact the merchant. |
| The merchant doesn't accept your card | Occasionally, a merchant's payment processor may decline the payment. If this happens, you'll need to use a different card. |