Has Your Credit Card Ever Been Declined?

June 17, 2008

If you've ever worked in a restaurant there's a high probability you've dealt with telling a customer her credit card has been declined. Even if it's a simple mistake that caused the card to be rejected, the customer probably internalized that rejection and turned red in the face. Have you ever been in her shoes?

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36 Comments

2 years

I'm a total believer in financial responsibility. However, I felt I should point out that having a credit card declined does not necessarily mean the person was being fiscally irresponsible. My Visa debit card was recently declined when I ran it at a restaurant as a credit. I had more than enough to cover the 10 dollar meal that I ate. However, the waitress and manager swore that I needed to call my card company and see what was wrong with it (like it was my fault). Well, I did, and it turns out IT WAS HER FAULT!!! Bank of America's records indicated that she entered the expiration date incorrectly. Meanwhile, my colleague already paid for my dinner (to my embarrassment since I usually hold my own). I guess all I'm saying is, it may not have been her fault. ...

3 years

It's never happened to me. I'm perfect in every way. :-)

Ryot 4 years

Yes, but only at the local grocery store. Thankfully I had cash on hand to pay for the few things I had picked up, and I *knew* it wasn't for lack of funds. Called my credit card company the next morning only to find that the charge from the store went through -- three times! The store was extremely difficult about giving me a refund for the charges. When the same thing happened at the same store a week later, I told the checker to void the entire transaction and to keep the groceries. Haven't been back since.

CaterpillarGirl 5 years

Why would it? Lack of funds someone is using your card number and the bank had frozen it untill they verify whats going on (big purchases one after the other) you forgot to activate it (hee hee happened to me!) or gremlins got into the system.

CaterpillarGirl 5 years

Why would it? Lack of fundssomeone is using your card number and the bank had frozen it untill they verify whats going on (big purchases one after the other)you forgot to activate it (hee hee happened to me!)or gremlins got into the system.

radmama27 5 years

No, why would it?

radmama27 5 years

No, why would it?

cubadog 5 years

yes, but it was because I was on a shopping spree and the bank just wanted to chat with me. I would rather be safe than sorry.

callmecheezcubes 5 years

yes. but it turns out i hadnt even activated it yet!!!!

MollyKat25 5 years

I've seen it happen too often when working in a retail store. But luckly never to me *fingers crossed*

Meike 5 years

Nope.

Meike 5 years

Nope.

ShePirate2010 5 years

my mom's has never been declined although when i was at a Hollister store there was a teenager alone and she had over 14 chirts and alot of other things...i was kinda laughing cuz she acted like little miss rich and when she went up to buy the stuff she figured out her parents had cancelled her credit card...LOL and i wonder why that is.....

chatondeneige 5 years

No, thank goodness. I worked at a restaurant for over 6 months, and I only had cards declined three times. All in the same day, all from the same (local, very small) bank, so I figured it was the bank's issue, not my customers'!

verily 5 years

Never been embarrassed because I know that I am never declined for lack of funds.The credit card reader in the self checkout lanes of my usual grocery store LOVES to decline me for no good reason at all. It always goes through the second time. And then I often get infuriated when the pimply-faced youth manning the main register insists on walking up to my checkout counter and baby stepping me through using the machine. Considering how often I'm in the store and how worn out my debit card is, I think I can handle the credit card reader on my own. :OY:

verily 5 years

Never been embarrassed because I know that I am never declined for lack of funds. The credit card reader in the self checkout lanes of my usual grocery store LOVES to decline me for no good reason at all. It always goes through the second time. And then I often get infuriated when the pimply-faced youth manning the main register insists on walking up to my checkout counter and baby stepping me through using the machine. Considering how often I'm in the store and how worn out my debit card is, I think I can handle the credit card reader on my own. :OY:

chellybean 5 years

ps - but I've never had a card declined and not been able to pay for something (like with cash or debit). THAT would be embarrassing.

chellybean 5 years

pfft, my cards get declined so much I don't even get embarrassed anymore.

Rychtrm 5 years

Yes. I was grocery shopping and me and my fiance have a joint checking account for the household(anything that we need for the house or that we both benefit from) so I was using that debit card and it got denied. I was so shocked, it was just like in a movie. I refused to believe that it was denied and kept telling the guy to try it again, I probably was even rude. Luckily it was all a mix up and I had given him the wrong card, a card that we had previously just cancelled.

faerymagick15 5 years

yep! seems every year around tax return time of course my spending speeds up for a week or two. My stupid card always seems to get a fraud alert! Took me half an hour on the phone this time to get it straightened out. And one other time I didn't realize I was so close to my limit!

jessie 5 years

we've had that happen...it was a new restaurant..and they had just hooked up their credit card machine. we swiped a card and it was declined, swiped another..declined. come to find out..since it was new..they had only programed one credit card on there..of course the one we didn't have. and we had no cash whats so ever. so we had to leave without paying a 35.00 bill. the lady was very understanding..but you know she had to have been a bit peeved off. we felt awful. so we called our credit card company when we got out to the car, got a pin number and got a one time withdrawl from a atm machine and went back and payed and left a 20 dollar tip. at that time dh didn't have a regular atm card..thought they were *evil*.

mochick 5 years

i've had it happen, but only because i have fraud monitoring, so recently when a hotel placed a hold on my card (for the exact amount of the room rate), then charged me the same amount a day later, my card was declined - the card company thought i was being charged twice. i figured the hold would come up as "debit authorization" or something different than the actual charge to tip them off.