Why was my transaction declined?

If your transaction declined and you’re not sure why, check out the possible reasons below:

Inactive Chime Card

You may need to activate your Chime Credit Builder Visa® Secured Credit Card or Chime Visa Debit Card in your app. To activate your card, follow these steps:

1. Open your Chime app.
2. Tap Activate Card on the home screen.
3. Follow the prompts.

You can also call the number on the back of your card to begin the card activation process. 

Disabled Transactions

Your transactions can decline when transactions are disabled in your app. To re-enable transactions:

1. Open your Chime app.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Turn on Allow Transactions (the button will be green when this is turned on).

If you want to allow International Transactions, you can turn these on in your app too. 

Closed Card - Inactive, Lost or Stolen

If you’ve recently reported your Chime card lost or stolen, or if you mistakenly use a previous Chime card, your transactions will be declined.

If you reported your card lost or stolen: Give us a call at 1-844-244-6363 and we can ship you a replacement card.

Note that some merchants save your card information for repeat billing, so be sure to check that your most recent card information is correct in the merchant’s system.

Expired Card

Your Chime card may have expired. If you have another card, you can try your transaction again using that card information. If you don’t, you can order a new replacement card through your app.

Note that some merchants save your card information for repeat billing, so be sure to check that your most recent card information is correct in the merchant’s system.

Insufficient Funds

If you used your debit card, you might not have enough funds available in your Chime Checking Account to complete your transaction.

If you need to add funds to your account, you can select Move Money in the app to see different options for adding money to your Checking Account.

Exceeded Limits

Your transactions can decline when you exceed the spending or withdrawal limit on your Chime Checking Account. 

You can spend up to $2,500 per day using your Chime Visa® Debit Card, and you can withdraw up to $515 at the ATM each day (including any merchant fees or out-of-network fees). Some members may have higher limits. You can check you Chime App for your limits in the Settings section of the app. 

Incorrect PIN 

If you entered your PIN incorrectly, your transactions will decline. 

If you forgot your PIN, you can go to your Chime app:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Scroll down to select Change your PIN.
3. Enter the new PIN.

Or you can call 1-844-244-6363 and follow the prompts to reset your PIN. You'll be asked for your card information, so be sure your card is nearby.

Incorrect CVV

Your transaction can decline when you enter the CVV incorrectly. You can retry your transaction, just make sure to enter the correct three-digit number on the back of the card, just to the right of the signature box. 

Note that some merchants save your card information for repeat billing, so be sure to check that your most recent card information is correct in the merchant’s system.

Incorrect Expiration Date

It’s possible your transaction was declined because you entered the wrong expiration date. For your next Chime Visa® Debit Card transaction, be sure to use the expiration date listed on your current debit card.

Note that some merchants save your card information for repeat billing, so be sure to check that your most recent card information is correct in the merchant’s system.

Incorrect Billing Address

If you entered a billing address that doesn't match the one associated with your Chime account, your transactions can decline. To solve this:

1. Open your Chime app and tap Settings.
2. Select Edit next to Personal Info.
3. Tap the Address field to edit your address.

Or check the address you entered while making the transaction to make sure if matches the address on your Chime account. 

Blocked Country or Merchant

This transaction was declined because your card was used at a merchant or in a country that is not currently accepted. We’re not able to change this on our end.

Suspected Fraud

Sometimes transactions are blocked in order to protect you. This transaction may have been blocked based on the Account Agreement associated with the account you paid from or Chime’s internal policies.

Unknown or Merchant-side Issue

Sometimes merchants or their payment systems may run into an unexpected error, resulting in an unexpected decline. If this happens, we recommend trying another method of running the card (e.g., swiping or inserting the chip rather than using contactless/tap to pay), or having the merchant manually enter the card info.

Still need help?

If you need more info about your declined transaction(s) our Chatbot feature can help. Or you can give us a call at 1-844-244-6363 or email us at support@chime.com to get in touch with a Chime team member.