What to Do When Apple Pay Keeps Saying Payment Method Declined

Your Apple Pay payment method might get declined if there are issues with your card, such as restrictions or a missed payment. The card also might not be supported with Apple Pay. Contact your bank to address these issues and try to solve the problem. 

This post will explore why Apple Pay keeps saying Payment Method Delclined. I’ll walk you through several reasons this might be happening and provide you with some relevant information to remember. 

Let’s dive in. 

Key Takeaways

  • If your payment method is declined when using Apple Pay, you’ll likely need to deal with your bank rather than Apple. 
  • The payment method can be declined for issues including restrictions, missed payments, or the card not being supported by Apple Pay. 
  • Not all cards are supported with Apple Pay, so your card might work for other payments but still not be valid with the app. 

Why Does Apple Pay Keep Saying Payment Method Declined? 

There are a number of reasons why your payment method with Apple Pay can be declined. I’ll show you all of the most common reasons here and provide you with some actions you can do to get things up and running quickly again. 

Before we dive in, it’s essential to know that your card is typically declined by your bank and not by Apple. So you should most likely contact your bank to reach a resolution whenever this happens, as Apple won’t be able to help. 

Reason #1 – Card Not Supported

Not all cards work with Apple Pay, and any card you want to use with the app must be supported. The card issuer decides whether or not a card is supported, so you need to check with them about its status. 

What to Do: 

You can call your bank or contact customer support online to figure out if your card is supported with Apple Pay. You should be able to find out pretty quickly. If it’s not, you’ll need to get another card to use the app. 

Reason #2 – Issues with Payment Method

Issues such as restrictions, missed payments, or incorrect personal information can lead to your card getting declined. If you recently moved or missed a payment, this could be another reason your card gets declined in Apple Pay. 

What to Do: 

You should contact your bank or card issuer to see if there are any restrictions or missed payments on your card. You’ll need to resolve those before you can add and use that card with Apple Pay. 

Also, check to see if your personal information related to that card is current. Make any updates or changes as necessary if it’s not. 

Reason #3 – Card Information Out of Date in Apple Pay

When your card information is out of date with Apple Pay, this can also lead to issues with it getting declined. This is for the same reasons as the problem mentioned above, and the fix is also easy. 

What to Do: 

Check the information for the card in the Wallet app to see that everything is current. You can open the Wallet app and tap on the card to see its information. Make any necessary changes and try to use it again. 

Reason #4 – Software Issues

Software issues and bugs or glitches are other reasons why a card might be declined. You typically won’t see the Payment Method Declined message if this is the case, but it’s still worth exploring because it’s an easy fix. 

What to Do: 

Make sure that your iPhone is updated. Download and install the most current iOS if you need to. You can also simply restart your iPhone and try again. This often works out random bugs and glitches that don’t have a clear explanation. 

Apple Pay Declined but Card Works

If you are running into the issue of a card getting declined when using Apple Pay but the card works in other situations, then that card is most likely not supported. This means that you can’t use it with Apple Pay. 

You can check with your bank to see if your card is supported with Apple Pay. You’ll need to use another card with the app if it isn’t. Every bank has a different policy, so you must check with them first. 

If your card is supported with Apple Pay, you might have inaccurate payment information in your Wallet app. Open the app and click on the card in question to check that all its information is accurate and current. Make any necessary changes. 

Why is Apple Declining my Visa Card? 

It doesn’t matter what type of card you use, whether that’s Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or any other, you can still experience issues with it getting declined by Apple. The reasons for this are the same as in the sections above. 

If your Visa card is not supported by Apple Pay, you won’t be able to use it with the app even if it works for other payments. You also might need to update the payment information with your bank or with Apple. 

It’s a good idea to call your bank anytime a card is declined to see what the problem is. Apple doesn’t actually decline cards, the card issuer or bank does. So you’ll need to contact them to get the issue resolved. 

Final Thoughts

If your payment method with Apple Pay gets declined, you should check with your card provider to ensure that there are no issues with the card, such as restrictions, a missed payment, or it not being supported with Apple Pay. 

You also need to keep your payment information current whenever you move or change addresses. This is another reason why a card might get declined when using Apple Pay. 

Have you ever had your payment method declined by Apple Pay? How did you resolve the problem? Let me know in the comments below.   

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  • Janie Talkant

    I’ve been using my same Visa for months to purchase things on a game I have on my phone. It suddenly declined my purchase and there’s plenty of money in the card. I went in and verified the information and it’s all the exact same as it’s always been. It will not accept my card now as a payment method? Why?

    Reply
    • Jerry Romero

      Have you updated your iOS recently? If you are running an out-of-date version, that might be the source of your issues. You also might need to update the game you are playing for the same reasons. If that doesn’t work and you are sure all of your card information is correct, I recommend reaching out to the app developer or Apple Customer Service to get specifics on the issue. Hope that helps.

      Reply
  • Elaine

    I have my American Express credit/debit card attached to my Apple Pay wallet. I was able to use it 3 times; once each at Habit, McDonald’s and Taco Bell. However, I tried using it at Taco Bell and McDonald’s again this week and it declined at both places. What’s happening???

    Reply
    • Jerry Romero

      Hey Elaine,

      Double-check that your personal information is updated with the card associated with Apple Pay. If anything isn’t current, like a change of address or something similar, that can cause things to get declined. If that doesn’t work, make sure you are running the latest iOS on your iPhone and update if needed. If neither of those work, you might need to contact your bank or Apple Customer Service for more guidance.

      Reply
  • Liezl

    I’m from South Africa. Apple pay is working everywhere but in the Spar stores. I can tap with my card but not my phone. It keeps on declining. What could be the problem?

    Reply
    • Jerry Romero

      Hi Liezl,

      I’ve never been to South Africa, so I don’t have direct experience with the store you mentioned and using Apple Pay there. But Spars stores might not have Apple Pay enabled. There are some stores where, even though you can tap a card, they don’t take mobile pay options. I’d ask customer service or a clerk at the store about it. Hope that helps.

      Reply
  • Jo

    Twice now online Apple Pay transactions have been declined. One was for Audible and one was a subscription purchase from the App Store. All my other Apple Pay transactions have been approved (same bank card) and I have used it most days for the last few months. I just had one declined but I have used it today with no problems. It’s definitely not a funding issue either. It’s puzzling me.

    Reply
    • Jerry Romero

      Hi Jo,

      Usually, these problems are pretty easy to access and iron out. Are you sure your bank card is current and using the correct address? If it’s expired or you have recently changed addresses, that can cause a decline to happen. Also, keep in mind that not all vendors accept Apple Pay, so it might be getting declined because of that. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  • K Leslie

    I’ve checked and double checked my new debit card and there are no issues with expiration or available funds. Just keeps telling me it has been declined.

    Reply
    • Jerry Romero

      Hi Leslie,

      There are a few things you can explore to help fix the issue you are having. Have you contacted your bank to make sure your debit card works with Apple Pay? Not all banks have this in place, so I’d start there because it’s a dealbreaker if you can’t even use the card through your bank. After that, make sure you update the iOS on your phone, as that can cause some issues too. Double-check that your payment information is correct with Apple Pay as well, and this needs to be the same info your card issuer has on record. If none of those things work, a quick chat with either Apple’s or your bank’s customer service reps should get you headed in the right direction. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  • Javon

    I get charged a dollar for Apple Pay but other times it was 6 dollars 4 dollars why is it going up and why is this even happening in the first place

    Reply
    • Jerry Romero

      Hey Jevon,

      I think I need a bit more information to help troubleshoot your problem. Are you getting charged extra for every transaction through Apple Pay? That’s not normal, so I think it might be something strange going on. It could be the card you have linked to Apple Pay, which may charge you fees whenever a transaction occurs. That’s not typical either, but it does happen. Have you reached out to Apple or your bank yet? That will give you some insight into what the charges are for, and you might be able to dispute them. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  • Linda kaldor

    My Visa gift card keeps getting declined. I have used Visa gift cards before with no problems. Now every gift cad I use is being declined on my IPhone. Can you please help me. I’m using it to play a game. The game support said it’s Apple problem. I can’t find a fix. I’ve already turned it off and that didn’t help either. There is plenty of money on the gift card so I don’t get it. Please help me. Thanks

    Reply
    • Jerry Romero

      Hi Linda,

      Have you contacted Apple Support yet? They might have better insight than the game support you reached out to. If gift cards that used to work are no longer working, it sounds like something with your Apple Pay account. That will at least rule out any issues with a card not being supported. And did you run through everything on the list here? It could be a software issue if you haven’t updated your iPhone in a while. I can’t give you direct advice without some more information, but you just need to troubleshoot multiple potential fixes until it’s resolved. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  • Mun

    I have already contacted my local bank and I tried all 4 different types of bank ( all of them have no restriction of purchasing online) still it said payment method is declined. Previously all 4 cards can be access all through without any problem. I have done all instruction that was mentioned by apple support. Can you resolve it?

    Reply
    • Jerry Romero

      Hi Mun,

      Sorry to hear you’re having issues with a payment method getting declined through Apple Pay. I’m not sure I can provide you with further assistance if you’ve gone through all the steps mentioned here and also contacted Apple support. Some cards aren’t supported through Apple Pay. Did you ask your bank directly if the cards you have work with Apple Pay?

      Reply
  • Nancy

    My card was declined three times when my internet provider attempted autopay. I had everything set up correctly. The same debit card has always worked before and there were funds available. I checked with the bank and they said no problem there. They did not decline it. I checked the autopay setup and it was correct. It wasn’t until the third time it was declined before I noticed it and I then paid it manually with the very same account but I ended up being charged a late fee by my provider. Moral of the story is don’t use Apple Pay for auto paying your bills! I have changed that to just debit my bank account.

    Reply
    • Jerry Romero

      Hi Nancy,

      Sorry to hear about your issues with Apple Pay. You’re right in thinking that it’s a good idea to avoid using it for automated bills if you are having issues with the payments coming out properly. Better to be cautious with that so you don’t run into any issues. I’ve never set up auto-pay with Apple Pay, so I appreciate you sharing your experience.

      Reply