Credit Card Declined? 9 Reasons Why this Happens and How to Fix It
14 Jul 2021

Rebuild Credit Card: 9 Reasons for Declines, and Effective Fixes

As consumers, we have come to rely greatly on credit cards as a means for conducting transactions. Instead of physical cash, we have a piece of plastic in our wallet and present it to the cashier. But what happens if your credit card refuses to swipe? How do you rebuild credit?

This event in itself can be quite astonishing – not to mention troublesome as it can leave you stranded. Below are some of the reasons why the terminal may be unable to read your credit card:

The strip on the back of your card may have been demagnetized

If you carry the card in a purse or wallet that uses a magnet, it may scramble the data on your card’s strip so that it can’t be read. The same can also happen if the card comes in close contact with a mobile device, or with one of the security sensor removal devices that are found at retail shops. Keep the card out of rooms containing MRI machines because their force could damage your card as well.

Your credit card may be dirty or scratched

As your card comes in touch with various surfaces – say a restaurant or your office table, etc., a layer of grime could collect over the strip at the back of your card. This would prevent the terminal from reading it. This problem can often be fixed by cleaning the card with a soft cloth. However, any vigorous attempts should be avoided, or they may damage the strip permanently.

Your credit card may have heated up

Leave your card out in the open on a table on a hot summer day? The heat might have damaged the magnetic strip on your card. Despite the magnetic strip not working, you can still use your card by manually entering your card number. However, in order to swipe you would need to get a new card from the issuer.

Your credit card hasn’t been activated/ has expired/ you’ve been issued a new one

When you receive a new card, you must activate it. The process is usually simple – you may be asked to call a certain number and follow relevant instructions. Until the card is activated, it will not work if you try to swipe it.

Similarly, the card won’t work if you have reached the expiration month mentioned on your card. It could also happen that for some reason, your issuer has issued you a new card. In such cases, the card company usually cancels the old card so that if you swipe it, the older card won’t work.

Fraud on your account

If your card issuer has reason to suspect that your account details are compromised, the company may put a hold on your card. For example, if you make a purchase that’s an amount much greater than your usual swipes, the issuer may smell a rat and refuse the transaction.

You are travelling

If you are travelling and plan to use your card, you should inform your issuer in advance.

Unless you do so, the company may assume it’s a criminal trying to use your card details from another country and block the transaction.

Wrong billing information

If you are trying to make an online purchase, the billing address you provide must match the billing address on your credit card statement, else your transaction may be denied.

Merchant processor issues

At times, the problem is at the merchant’s end – the payment processor may be encountering technical difficulties – in such cases, the merchant may save your card information and then carry out the transaction later when the problem has resolved.

There may not be enough available limit

Let’s say your issuer has granted you a limit of $2,000, out of which you’ve already used up $1,500.

In that case, you would be unable to make purchases greater than $500 unless you pay down your existing balance.

If your credit is low or in need of repair and you are unsure how to resolve it, call Kaydem Credit Help at 866-237-0013 for assistance to rebuild credit card.

We help clients with bad credit rebuild credit card. Our unique dispute processes assist with the removal of negative items on your credit report and requires only a few minutes of your time to get started.

We will show you what is or is not on your credit report, and exactly what strategy to employ to remove the negative items.