# gateway.transaction_processing.card_declined

> For the complete machine-readable documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://apidocs.chargebee.com/llms.txt).


**gateway**

The payment was declined by the card issuer or payment processor. This is a general decline that can occur for various reasons including insufficient funds, expired cards, incorrect card details, fraud detection, or card restrictions. The bank did not provide a specific decline reason.

## Recommended Customer Message

Your card was declined. Contact your card issuer for more details, or use a different payment method.

## Root Cause[](#root-cause)

-   **Insufficient funds:** The customer's card balance is insufficient to complete the transaction.
-   **Expired card:** The card used has expired.
-   **Incorrect card details:** The card number, expiration date, or CVV is invalid.
-   **Fraud detection:** The card issuer or payment processor flagged the transaction as suspicious.
-   **Card restrictions:** The card is restricted for online or international purchases.
-   **Issuer-related issues:** Temporary technical issues occurred at the card issuer's end.

## Troubleshooting and Solutions[](#troubleshooting-and-solutions)

-   Inform the customer that their card was declined.
-   Ask the customer to verify that the card details (number, expiry, CVV) entered are correct.
-   Ask the customer to ensure that the card is active and has sufficient funds.
-   Ask the customer to contact their card issuer to check for any blocks, restrictions, or fraud alerts.
-   Recommend retrying the transaction after verifying the card details.
-   Suggest using an alternative payment method if the issue persists.
-   If your system supports smart retries (smart dunning), allow the system to automatically retry the transaction later.