Overview
Receiving a message that your card payment has been declined can be frustrating and inconvenient. Below are some common reasons for card declines and steps you can take to address them.
How to view declined transactions
To view your declined transactions:
- As a Cardholder: Open My Ramp and click on the card for which you wish to view declines. At the bottom of the panel, click the Declined Transactions tab.
- As a Manager or Admin: You can view all declined transactions at the company (admin) or team level (admin and manager) in the Expenses > Transactions > Declined subsection.
Common decline scenarios and how to resolve them
The first step you should take is to check your SMS notifications on your mobile device to understand why your card was declined. See the list below to understand why transactions are often declined and what you can do next:
1. Card locked or terminated: For a physical card to be used for transactions, it must be linked to an active virtual card. If the linked virtual card is locked or terminated, any transactions attempted with the physical card will be declined. In other words, if you try to use your physical card and it is connected to a virtual card that is no longer active, your transaction will not be processed.
How to resolve:
- In such cases, we suggest checking your card's Activity feed to see who locked it and when. Then, you can contact your manager to unlock it.
- You may also link your physical card to another available virtual card or request a new virtual card before attempting the charge again.
2. Transaction amount limit: If the transaction amount exceeds the remaining balance on your card, the transaction will be declined.
How to resolve:
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- As a Cardholder, if you have the Ramp mobile app downloaded and push notifications turned on, you will receive a push notification with instructions to contact your Admin or Manager to request an increase in the card limit if needed or you'll receive an SMS notification. Once approved, you may attempt the charge again.
- As an Admin, you will receive an SMS notification with the option to increase your card limit if you have added a phone number to your Ramp account.
3. Company balance limit: Your transaction will be declined if it exceeds your company's remaining balance.
How to resolve:
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- Your company's Admins or Owners can manually pay down the company's balance to allow new transactions to go through. Once the balance is freed up, you may attempt the charge again.
- You may contact your Manager or Finance Team directly for more information.
4. Fraudulent activity: If Ramp's systems flag a transaction as fraudulent, it will be declined.
How to resolve:
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- If you believe the transaction is legitimate, please contact our Support Team for further assistance in resolving the issue.
5. Merchant restriction: If your Finance Team has added a Merchant Restriction to your card, it can only be used to transact with specific vendors or merchants. If you attempt to spend under a Merchant that isn't authorized, your card will be declined.
How to Resolve:
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- You will receive an SMS notification and can request an exception from your Admin or Manager. Once approved, you may attempt the charge again.
- Please note that sometimes Ramp incorrectly labels a merchant. In these cases, please Report Incorrect Info directly from the transaction.
6. Forbidden category: If your Finance Team has added a Category Restriction to your card, it can only be used to transact under specific categories. If you attempt to spend under a Category that isn't authorized, your card will be declined.
How to resolve:
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- You will receive an SMS notification and can request an exception from your Admin or Manager. Once approved, you may attempt the charge again.
- Please note that sometimes, Ramp may incorrectly categorize a merchant. In these cases, please Report Incorrect Info directly from the transaction.
7. Merchant decline: If you continue to experience multiple declines despite having enough funds and you're not receiving notifications from Ramp, it is likely a vendor-specific issue. If you do not see the decline in Ramp, the transaction didn't reach our system for authorization, and the vendor or merchant is declining the transaction. This is more common for certain high-risk categories, such as gift cards.
How to resolve:
- Please contact the vendor directly to resolve the issue.
8. Card information entered incorrectly: We recommend always ensuring you enter the correct expiration date and CVV for any online purchases.
How to resolve:
- If you can confirm the card details are entered correctly, we suggest creating a new virtual card to attempt to resolve the problem.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How can I request a change to a specific card's limit or frequency?
Go to My Ramp, select the card you want to modify, and click on Edit Card. Update the amount or frequency as needed.
What should I do if an employee's transaction is declined because it has reached the spending limit?
As an Admin or Manager, you can increase the spending limit or review the transaction to ensure it complies with your company's policies.
We're committed to helping you resolve any issues and ensure a smooth experience with Ramp. Please contact our dedicated Support Team if you have further questions or need assistance.