A Talo Payments transaction may be declined for several reasons. The table below lists every possible decline reason, along with a description and actions your customer can take to complete their purchase.
Reason for Decline | Description |
Denied by Bank | The customer’s bank will not allow the transaction. Customer should contact their bank. |
Potentially Fraudulent | The card issuer suspects the card is counterfeit or stolen. |
Card Not Activated | The card is new and not activated. Customer should activate it or use a different card. |
Contact Card Issuer | A bank-side processing issue occurred. Customer should contact their bank or try another card. |
Card Issuer Unavailable | Talo Payments could not reach the issuing bank. Customer should try again later. |
CVV2/CID Error | Incorrect security code entered. Customer should retry or contact their bank. |
Declined by Issuer | The bank declined the transaction for an unspecified reason. Customer should use another card or contact their bank. |
Denied (Unspecified) | Bank declined the transaction with no additional details. |
Do Not Honor | Bank declined due to suspicious activity or insufficient funds. Customer should contact their bank or use another card. |
Generic Error / Generic Decline | Bank declined for an unspecified reason. Customer should use another card or contact their bank. |
Exceeds Approval Limit | The amount exceeds the customer’s card limit. |
Card Expired | The card is expired. Customer should use a different card. |
Illegal Transaction | Declined to prevent a violation of law or regulation. Proceed with caution. |
Insufficient Balance / Insufficient Funds | Customer does not have enough funds. They should use another method. |
Invalid Account Number / Invalid Card Number | The card number was entered incorrectly or the account is closed. |
Invalid CVV / Invalid Security Code / Missing CVV | CVV was incorrect or missing. Customer should re-enter the correct code. |
Invalid Expiration Date | Incorrect expiration date entered. |
Invalid Issuer | The card number does not match a valid issuing bank. |
Invalid Merchant | The bank refused the transaction. Customer may try again later or use another method. |
Issuer Unavailable | The issuer could not be reached. Customer should try again later. |
Lost Card | Card was reported lost. Verify identity and refer customer to their bank. Proceed with caution. |
Exceeds Credit Limit | Customer exceeded their credit limit. |
Refer to Card Issuer (Special Condition) / Refer to Issuer | Declined due to an internal bank issue. Customer should contact their bank. |
Restricted Card | The card is blocked due to geographic or bank restrictions. |
Stolen Card / Stolen Card (Pick-up) / Blocked Card (Lost/Stolen) | Card reported stolen. Verify identity; proceed with caution. |
Suspected Fraud / Declined Due to Risk | Declined due to suspected fraud. Customer should contact their bank. |
System Malfunction / Technical Error / Internal Error | Issuer-side system error. Customer should try again later. |
Transaction Exceeds Limit | The transaction amount exceeds the card’s limit. |
Transaction Not Permitted (Acquirer / Issuer / Cardholder) | The card is not permitted for this type of transaction. Customer should use another method. |
Transaction Unauthorized for This Cardholder | Issuer will not allow the transaction. |
Unknown Card Issuer | The issuer could not be identified. Try again later or use another method. |
Declined by AMEX | AMEX declined the transaction. Customer should use another card. |
Invalid Amount | The amount is below the $1 minimum. |
Declined Payment Due to Suspected Fraud
When you accept a credit card payment, there is always a possibility that the card—or the card information—was stolen and is being used fraudulently.
Talo Payments uses multiple fraud-prevention models and tools to detect, block, and reduce fraudulent transactions. These measures help protect your business from potential financial loss.
Even with these protections, no fraud system is perfect. We recommend reviewing Talo’s best practices for reducing fraud risk and protecting your business.
If a payment is declined due to suspected fraud, no action is required on your end.
If you believe the payment is legitimate, you may ask the customer to try the payment again.
If the issue continues for the same customer, contact Talo Support and provide:
The payment ID
The amount
The date of the attempted payment