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5 Ways to Fix Credit and Debit Card Not Working for Online Purchases

Are you unable to make payments via your debit card or credit card online or on e-commerce websites? Well, it’s a common issue where users have reported transaction declined, or payment failed errors while trying to make a payment from their bank card. If you’re facing any such issues, do not worry, we’ve got your back. Here are five quick ways to fix credit card and debit card transactions not working for online purchases.

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Fix Credit and Debit Card Not Working for Online Purchases

Debit Card Transaction Declined

Your credit card or debit card can fail while making payments due to several reasons- may be the online transactions aren’t turned on, international usage is disabled, or maybe you’ve crossed your daily limits. Whatever be the case, below is how you can solve credit card and debit card transaction failure issues.

1. Enable Online Transactions (Domestic/ International)

Following the recent RBI guidelines, debit and credit cards issued by banks, by default, are enabled only for domestic transactions at ATMs and POS terminals. Online transactions are disabled unless you manually turn them on, be it domestic or international.


So, if you have got a new card or haven’t done an online transaction with your card yet, it’s likely that it has been disabled for online use. This is done to safeguard people from unauthorized online transactions.

You can manually enable online transactions via SMS or customer care, or from your bank’s mobile app and net banking. The process to enable or disable online transactions depends on your bank. However, below is a basic go-through guide you can follow on your end.

Fix Credit Card & Debit Card Transactions Not Working Online

  1. Visit your bank’s net banking portal.
  2. Log in with your account credentials.
  3. Go to the Manage Cards or Debit Card / Credit Card section.
  4. Here, go to Card Controls.Fix Credit Card & Debit Card Transactions Not Working Online
  5. Enable the controls for domestic online transactions.
  6. Similarly, enable international usage if you want to use it for international transactions.

If you’re paying with your card on subscription-based services that follow recurring or automatic payments like Netflix, Spotify, or Prime Video, you’ll have to enable international transactions on your card. Else, the transaction won’t go through. This facility is usually not available on RuPay cards; try using VISA or MasterCard instead.

2. Have you Reached Your Transaction Limits?

All credit cards and debit cards have certain limits on the maximum amount and daily transactions. If you try doing transactions of amounts over these limits, your card will automatically be declined, and the payment will fail.

So, check your card’s available daily limit and the maximum amount limit in your bank’s net banking or mobile app.Card Transaction Failed Online

  1. Head to your bank’s net banking portal and log in to your account.
  2. Go to the Manage Cards or Debit Card / Credit Card section.
  3. Here, look for Card Controls.
  4. Check the maximum online transaction limit for your card.
  5. You can increase it if required. In the case of debit cards, the maximum limit depends upon your account and card variant.

3. Check Granular Card Controls

Fix Credit Card & Debit Card Transactions Not Working Online

Most banks offer granular card controls, allowing you to turn them on or off for a particular transaction type. For instance, ICICI Bank lets you control transactions individually for Merchant outlets, ATM withdrawal, Online payments, Tap and Pay, and International usage.

Your card could be enabled for international use but not for online payments or merchants. This could cause transaction failure while making these types of payments. So, head to your mobile app or net banking, go to the Manage Card section, and check per transaction status and also the limit.

4. Your Bank Could Be Suspicious of the Transaction

As a safety measure, banks usually decline any transaction that seems suspicious or out of character with your normal spending or withdrawal habits. This may happen if you try doing a large transaction after a very long time or for the first time on your debit card.

Bank will generally call you for the transaction confirmation, asking whether it was really you who made the payment or transaction. You can also call the bank beforehand to make sure that they don’t block or decline the payment.

5. Extra Tips to Fix Credit/ Debit Card Online Transaction Failures

  • Check the entered card information- the number, expiry date, and CVV should be correct.
  • Make sure you’re using the right card type- using a debit card on a credit card terminal or a domestic Rupay card for international payment won’t work.
  • Check if your bank’s servers are facing issues or are under maintenance.
  • Did you block your card? Check if it’s blocked or deactivated.
  • All cards come with an expiry date, after which the card issuer usually sends you a replacement card with a new expiry date. Check if your card is expired.
  • If you don’t have enough funds in your account (for debit cards) or a credit limit on your credit card, banks will decline the transaction. They may also charge you a fee in this case.

Wrapping Up- (Solved) Credit/ Debit Card Not Working for Online Purchases

These were some quick ways to fix debit card and credit card transactions not working online problem. I hope you can now figure out and fix the problem causing the transactions to fail on your card. Always be careful and follow the necessary steps to protect your card from unauthorized use online. Stay tuned for more such articles.

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Ritik Singh

Ritik is the Managing Editor at GadgetsToUse. He manages the website and oversees the content to ensure it's as informative as possible. He also heads the sub-sites in the network. Putting work aside, he has a great interest in personal finance and is also a keen motorcycle enthusiast.