If your payment is being declined or you cannot add a card, the table below covers the most common causes and what to do for each. If you are unsure which error applies to you, start with the checklist below before working through the table.
Before you start troubleshooting
- Is your card a Visa, Mastercard, or Maestro? We do not currently accept American Express, Discover, Diners Club, or JCB.
- Is your card still active (not expired or cancelled)?
- Do you have enough available funds on the card for the purchase?
- Is your billing address up to date in Settings > Payment Methods?
Common errors and how to fix them
| Error | Description | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| "Payment declined due to low funds" | There are not enough available funds on the card to complete the purchase. | Add funds to your card and try again, or use a different card. |
| "Your bank declined the payment. Please contact them or try another card." | Your bank has declined the transaction. We do not receive a specific reason from your bank. | Contact your bank and ask them to approve transactions to Subs. You may need to speak to your bank's fraud team, as general customer support is often not trained to resolve these blocks. |
| "3 digit code provided does not match the code of the card" | The CVV (security code) you entered does not match the card. | Re-enter the 3-digit security code from the back of your card. |
| "Payment declined due to exceeded limits" | Your card or bank has a per-transaction or daily limit that this payment would exceed. This is a limit set by your bank, not by Subs. | Try a smaller amount, or contact your bank to raise the limit. |
| "The expiration date on the card has passed" | The card has expired. | Remove the expired card in Settings and add a new, active card. |
| "Invalid card number" | The card number you entered is not valid. | Double-check the card number and try again. |
| "Account closed" | The bank account linked to this card has been closed. | Use a different card. |
| "This card is not supported." / "Card brand not supported" | We only accept Visa, Mastercard, and Maestro. Other networks are not supported. | Use a Visa, Mastercard, or Maestro card. You can also pay using Apple Pay, Google Pay, or your Subs balance. |
| "Billing address does not match the card" | The billing address you entered does not match what your bank has on file. | Check your billing details in Settings > Payment Methods. The address must match exactly what your card issuer holds, including spelling, spacing, and formatting. If you recently moved, update your address with your bank first. |
| "Billing ZIP/postal code does not match the card" | The postal code on your billing address does not match the one your bank has on file. | Confirm your postal code with your bank and re-enter it in your billing details. |
| "Authentication required. Please try again." | Your bank requires 3D Secure (3DS) authentication to approve this payment. | Complete the 3DS prompt that appears after submitting the payment, usually a push notification from your banking app or a one-time code by SMS. |
| "Authentication failed. Please try again." | You did not complete 3DS verification, or your bank rejected it. | Retry the payment and follow your bank's approval process promptly. |
| "We couldn't authenticate your payment. Please try again and approve the transaction through your bank." | The 3DS challenge was not completed in time. | Retry the payment and approve it through your bank immediately when prompted. Do not close the payment window until verification finishes. |
| "3D Secure token required." | The 3DS verification step did not start correctly. | Refresh the page and try again. If you use a popup blocker, allow popups for Subs. |
| "Your card has been temporarily disabled due to too many failed payment attempts. For security reasons, this card cannot be used for the next 24 hours." | Several failed payments have been attempted with this card recently. | Wait 24 hours, or use a different card. Contact your bank to check why the earlier attempts were declined. |
| "You've reached the limit of saved payment methods." | You can have up to 3 saved cards at a time, and you already have the maximum. | Remove a card you no longer use in Settings > Payment Methods before adding a new one. |
| "Card number is blacklisted" | This card cannot be used on Subs. | Use a different card. If you believe this is in error, contact support with your registered email and the last 4 digits of the card. |
| "Card not added." | The card you tried to pay with is not on your account. | Re-add the card in Settings > Payment Methods, then retry the payment. |
| "Transaction has already been processed." | This charge was already completed. You have not been double-charged. | Check your balance and purchase history to confirm. If you genuinely see two charges for the same purchase, contact support for a refund. |
| "Transaction failed due to an unspecified issue. If card details are correct, please try another card." | Your bank declined the transaction without giving a specific reason. | Try a different card, or contact your bank to ask why the payment was declined. |
| "Billing address is missing or incomplete." / "No address has been added for tax calculation. Please update your address." / "Location not added" | One or more required billing address fields is blank. | Fill in all required fields. Country and postal code are required for all cards. US and Canadian cards also require street, city, and state. |
| "The provided address could not be validated for tax calculation. Please update your address." / "Saved location not correct" | We need your location to calculate tax for your purchase. The address you entered could not be matched to a real location. | Go to Settings > Account Details > Location and add your address. Re-enter your address. Avoid PO Boxes and make sure street, city, postal code, and country are all correct. |
| "Payment is not available at the moment. Please try again later." | Our tax calculation service is temporarily unavailable. | Wait a few minutes and try again. |
| "Please contact support" | Our payment processor has asked us to direct you to our support team for this card. | Contact support and include your registered email, the last 4 digits of the card, the amount, and the approximate time of the attempt. |
What is 3D Secure and why does verification fail?
3D Secure (3DS) is a security layer added by card issuers to verify your identity before an online payment is approved. When triggered, you will be asked to complete one of the following:
- Approve a push notification in your mobile banking app
- Enter a one-time code sent by your bank via SMS or email
- Answer a security question or enter a PIN
3DS is mandatory for most card payments on Subs. Common reasons it fails:
- The verification window timed out. You have approximately 2 minutes to complete it once prompted.
- You closed the payment window before verification finished.
- Your bank's authentication app requires a separate installation.
- Popups are blocked in your browser.
If 3DS keeps failing even when you complete it promptly, contact your bank and confirm that 3D Secure is activated on your card and that Subs is not blocked on their end.
I see a charge, but it shows as pending. What does that mean?
If a charge appears in your bank account as "pending" but has not been fully processed, this is usually an authorisation hold rather than a completed payment. No funds have actually left your account yet. Your bank will automatically release the amount within a few days if the transaction does not complete.
Prepaid or gift cards are not working
Prepaid and gift cards frequently lack the billing name or address data required by our payment processor, or the name on the card does not exactly match the one in the card issuer's record. For reliable payments, we recommend a standard credit or debit card.
My account has been blocked from making payments
If you are unable to make any payment and you believe your account has been blocked rather than your card being declined, contact our support team. Include your registered email address, the last 4 digits of the card, and any error message shown on the screen. Our team will review your account and advise next steps.