You can encounter situations where card transactions are unsupported or fail to complete successfully.
This article outlines the most common reasons card transactions can be unsupported or fail, and provides recommended actions to address each scenario.
Unsupported card transactions
The following sections present specific card transaction types and scenarios that are restricted or closely monitored when using your Payhawk card.
Account funding and quasi-cash transactions
Payhawk blocks certain types of card transactions to prevent misuse of company funds. Due to regulatory concerns, fraud risk, and policy compliance, the following are often restricted:
Card transactions that attempt to transfer money to other financial instruments will be declined, including money orders, wire transfers, and funding digital wallets (for example, PayPal).
Quasi-cash card transactions that can be easily converted to cash will be declined, including gambling, lottery ticket purchases, and casino chips.
High-value transactions and monitoring
For security reasons, high-value transactions may be temporarily blocked and reviewed by Payhawk’s Monitoring team.
You and the Payhawk administrators at your company will be contacted via email for confirmation.
Once confirmed, the transaction will be processed.
Unsupported countries
Payhawk may restrict transactions in certain countries for regulatory reasons - for example, Zimbabwe. To solve this issue, use an alternative payment method or contact a Payhawk administrator at your company for guidance.
Spending policy for merchant restrictions
Transactions may be blocked due to restrictions set by a Payhawk administrator at your company, such as:
Merchant category restrictions
Blocked countries or regions
Defined spend limits
To check whether such restrictions have been imposed on your card, view your card limits, and see how a defined spend policy at your company can affect your cards.
This issue can be solved by a Payhawk administrator at your company by updating the spend policy and advanced card limits for your card.
Failed card transactions
Card transactions can fail for several reasons, and understanding the specific cause will help you quickly resolve the issue.
Low card limit
If your card limit is lower than the transaction amount, the payment will fail. To solve this issue, request additional funds from a Payhawk administrator at your company or ask them to increase your card limit.
Insufficient funds
If the funds on your card balance are insufficient for the desired transaction, ask a Payhawk administrator at your company to make sure the card is linked to a currency account with enough funds.
Incorrect card details
Inputting incorrect CVV or expiration date can lead to failed transactions or temporary card blocks. To solve this issue, review your card details and retry with the correct information.
Merchant-specific issues
Some failures are due to:
Outdated or incompatible payment terminals.
Temporary technical issues at the merchant’s end.
To solve such issues:
Retry the transaction after some time.
Contact the merchant to verify their payment system.
Re-add your Payhawk card and try again.