A Relay Visa® Debit Card typically declines for one of these reasons: card status, transaction limits, CVV or PIN entry, billing address mismatch, low balance, fraud hold, or merchant cancellation.
When a card transaction fails, Relay sends an email to the cardholder naming the reason. Start with that email, then match the reason to the sections below.
If your card isn't activated
A new Relay Visa® Debit Card can't be used until it's activated. Sign in to Relay, open the card in the Cards tab, and follow the activation steps. Once active, confirm the account holding the card has enough money to cover the transaction.
If you've hit a daily or monthly transaction limit
Every Relay Visa® Debit Card has a per-transaction, daily, and monthly spending limit. If the transaction amount would push you over the limit, it declines. Check current limits under the card's settings, adjust them if needed, and try again. Limits reset at 12:00 p.m. CST each day. Pending transactions count against the daily limit until they clear.
If your CVV was entered wrong
The three-digit CVV on the back of the physical card must be entered exactly for card-not-present transactions. Check the digits on the card itself. If the card is showing in-app only, the CVV appears in the card details view.
If your PIN doesn't match
An incorrect PIN entry at an ATM or on a chip-and-PIN terminal causes a decline. To reset a PIN, contact the Relay Customer Experience team at 1-888-205-9304, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST.
If your billing address doesn't match
For card-not-present purchases, the billing address entered must match the address Relay has on file. That address is always the business address associated with the Relay Account. Check the business address in Settings and enter it exactly at checkout.
If your account balance is too low
A Relay Visa® Debit Card draws from the linked Relay Account. If the balance is lower than the transaction amount, the payment declines. Two ways to top up: move money in from another Relay Account using an internal transfer, or add money from an external bank via ACH.
If the transaction looks like fraud
Relay flags transactions that match unusual patterns for that card. When a transaction is held for fraud review, the cardholder receives a decline notice and, in most cases, a follow-up prompt to confirm the transaction. If it was legitimate, confirm it in the app or reply to the fraud alert email.
If the merchant cancelled the payment
Sometimes the decline isn't on Relay's side. The merchant may have cancelled or reversed the authorization before it completed. Contact the merchant directly to check the status of the order.
Still not resolved?
If none of the reasons above match what you're seeing, contact the Relay Customer Experience team. Have the merchant name, transaction amount, and approximate time of the attempt ready so the team can trace the authorization quickly.
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