If a payment fails or is declined, it can be caused by different reasons — some related to the terminal and some related to the shopper or the card.
Check the terminal
Make sure the terminal is connected to the internet.
Check for pending software updates and install them.
Restart the terminal and try the transaction again.
Check that your merchant account and configuration are active and correctly set up (if unsure, contact support).
Check the card
Make sure the card is valid and supported (for example, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, etc.).
Check if the card has a chip or magnetic stripe issue — try using contactless or inserting/swiping again.
Try using another card to see if the issue is specific to one card.
Possible shopper-related reasons
Sometimes, payments are declined by the card issuer or due to shopper-related reasons, such as:
Insufficient funds in the account.
Card blocked or expired.
Exceeded spending limit set by the bank.
Issuer’s security checks or fraud prevention blocking the transaction.
Incorrect PIN entered by the customer too many times.
If the decline message appears as "Declined from the shopper" or "Refused," it usually means the card issuer did not approve the payment. In these cases, the shopper should contact their bank for more details.