Purpose
This article explains why you may get a “card declined” message when using your US Bank card. To learn how to view declined transactions, see the “View declined transactions” article.
Audience
The information in this article applies to U.S. Bank and Elan customers (both administrators and employees) who are using a physical corporate card.
Declined transactions messages and meanings
The following Table 1 lists the messages you may see if your card is declined, what those messages mean, and what to do when you see each message.
If you call customer service regarding a decline message, a representative may be able to directly assist you. In certain cases, however, such as for credit limit changes or unblocking of merchants, the representative may direct you to your company program administrator for assistance.
Table 1. Declined transaction messages and meanings table
Decline message | What it means | What to do |
Account closed | The account connected with your card has been closed. | Call customer service at 800-344-5696. They may be able to provide more information about the specific issue. |
Account temporarily closed/locked | The account connected with your card has been temporarily closed or locked. | Call customer service at 800-344-5696. They may be able to provide more information about the specific issue. |
Call customer service at 800-344-5696 | You can get this message for various reasons. Call customer service for more information on the specific issue. | Call customer service as directed. |
Card expired | Self-explanatory | Call customer service at 800-344-5696 to request a new card. |
Card not activated | You have not activated your card. You must activate your card before using it. | Activate your card by following the instructions included on the card. |
Exceeded account single transaction limit | Self-explanatory | Make a transaction that does not exceed your single transaction limit or contact your card administrator to see whether you can extend your single transaction limit. |
Exceeded an account limit
Insufficient credit | Self-explanatory | Make a transaction that does not exceed your account limit or contact your card administrator |
Merchant code error
Merchant code excluded | The transaction may not follow the established merchant category code (MCC) rules set up by your administrator. For instance, transactions at selected MCCs will be approved or authorized, and transactions at not-selected MCCs will be declined. (See the “Commercial Rewards: Card Administrator Guide” for more information on this topic.) | Contact your card administrator. |
Fraud detected | Fraud has been detected related to your card. | Call customer service at 800-344-5696. They may be able to provide more information about the specific issue. |
Invalid card or account | The account or card is not active. | Try again with a valid card. If the issue persists, contact your card administrator or call customer service at 800-344-5696. |
Invalid credit rating | The account is blocked from making purchases. | Call customer service at 800-344-5696. |
Invalid expiration date | You entered the incorrect expiration date for your card. | Retype your card's expiration date. If the issue persists, contact your card administrator or call customer service at 800-344-5696. |
Invalid pin | Self-explanatory | Retype your card's PIN. If the issue persists, contact your card administrator or call customer service at 800-344-5696. |
Outside of the effective date | Your card has expired. | Contact your card administrator. |
Transferred account | The account associated with your card has been transferred to another account or institution. | Contact your card administrator. |
Unknown error, call customer service at 800-344-5696 | Self-explanatory | Contact your card administrator or call customer service at 800-344-5696. They may be able to provide more information about the specific issue. |
Need help?
If you need help, contact the TravelBank support team:
Email support@travelbank.com.
From the website or mobile app: Open the left navigation menu and select “Chat with us”.
Publish date: November 27, 2023
Last update: April 20, 2024