Credit Card Failure Codes

There may be times where a donor’s credit card contribution is rejected and the reason is just a code or phrase. Below are some of the codes and reasons for the card rejection.

HOLD-CALL: This essentially means the financial institution associated with the credit card did not accept the charge because the card was reported stolen, lost, or invalid. The term “HOLD-CALL” is an old retail phrase indicating to a cashier that they should not return the card to the person using it and call the financial institution. Obviously that’s a bit antiquated these days but the root cause is still the same.

DECLINED: The donation can be declined for several reasons. They include insufficient funds, invalid account, the provided address doesn’t match the billing address, or more.

EXPIRED: This is due to the card being expired or an attempt using a canceled card. Sometimes this can happen when attempting to issue a refund.