Whop Cards apply a set of system rules, card limits, and real-time risk checks to every authorization. This page explains the most common reasons a card transaction is declined, the authorization codes you may encounter, and the automatic risk rules enforced during authorization.Documentation Index
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Common transaction decline reasons
Declines can occur for several reasons, including system rules, card limits, and real-time risk checks. When a transaction is declined, a reason describing the cause is recorded with the transaction. This list is not exhaustive. Some declines originate at the card network or processor rather than from a Whop rule, and these take precedence. In those cases the reason may be a generic description such asrestricted card, or may not be available at all.
What you can do about a decline
Many declines are expected outcomes you can act on. The table below maps common reasons to their cause and your next step:| Decline reason | What it means | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
card spending limit exceeded | The card’s configured spending limit was reached | Review or adjust the card’s spending controls |
account credit limit exceeded | Insufficient available balance for the transaction | Add funds to your balance before retrying |
card locked / card canceled / card not activated | The card is not in an active state | Manage the card’s status (activate or unlock as appropriate) |
invalid pin attempt limit exceeded | Too many incorrect PIN attempts; the card is automatically locked | Unlock the card to restore access, or contact Whop support |
transaction declined by risk rules | The authorization was declined by the fraud risk scoring engine | Contact Whop support if you believe a transaction was declined in error |
restricted country | The transaction originated in a restricted or sanctioned jurisdiction | These declines follow compliance policy and cannot be overridden |
- ATM withdrawals are disabled by default.
- Quasi-cash and certain money-transfer categories are restricted by default.
- 3D Secure (3DS): a failed 3DS verification can result in a decline.
- Address Verification (AVS): AVS is supported and configurable per card; mismatches can contribute to a decline.
Authorization codes and their meanings
Whop Cards use specific authorization codes to classify the context and status of each transaction. Here are some commonly encountered codes:| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 00 | Normal presentment |
| 01 | Customer not present |
| 02 | Unattended terminal - card can be retained |
| 03 | Merchant suspicious |
| 05 | Customer present, card not present |
| 06 | Pre-authorized request |
| 07 | Telephone device required |
| 08 | Mail/telephone order |
| 09 | POS security alert |
| 10 | Customer identity verified |
| 11 | Suspicious Activity |
| 12 | Security reasons |
| 13 | Representation of item |
| 14 | Public utility terminal |
| 15 | Customer’s terminal |
| 16 | Administrative terminal |
| 17 | Returned item |
| 18 | No check in envelope - return |
| 19 | Deposit out of balance - return |
| 20 | Payment out of balance - return |
| 21 | Manual reversal |
| 22 | Terminal error - counted |
| 23 | Terminal error - not counted |
| 24 | Deposit out of balance - apply |
| 25 | Payment out of balance - apply |
| 26 | Withdrawal error - reversed |
| 27 | Unattended terminal - card cannot be retained |
| 51 | Request for account number verification |
| 59 | E-commerce request through public network |
| 71 | Card present, magnetic stripe unreadable (U.S. only) |
Risk rules enforced during authorization
Whop Cards enforce automatic risk detection rules to prevent high-risk or suspicious transactions. Each rule includes a time window and trigger threshold:| Rule name | Description | Time window | Trigger threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blocked Country | Decline all transactions at blocked countries | Immediate | N/A |
| High Risk MCC | Decline transactions with high-risk MCCs | Immediate | N/A |
| High Risk E-commerce | Decline transactions with flagged online merchants | Immediate | N/A |
| E-commerce Rapid Transaction | E-commerce transaction burst prevented, more than 2 transactions were attempted within a 5-minute period | 5 Minutes | 2 Transactions |
| Card-present Rapid Transaction | Card-present transaction burst prevented, more than 2 transactions were attempted within a 5-minute period | 5 Minutes | 2 Transactions |
| Card-not-present Daily Velocity | Card-not-present transaction daily limit reached, more than 11 card-not-present transactions attempted within a 24-hour period | 24 Hours | 11 Transactions |
| Card-Merchant Daily Velocity | Decline transactions between the same card and merchant when more than 200 transactions occur within a 24-hour period. Surfaces as transaction declined by risk rules | 24 Hours | 200 Transactions |
| Card-Merchant Authentication 15min Burst Velocity | Decline Google temporary-hold (authentication) charges when the same card and merchant exceed 20 transactions within a 14-minute window | 14 Minutes | 20 Transactions |
| AFD Auth Hold | Fuel (MCC 5542) authorizations below $175 are placed on an over-authorization hold rather than declined | Immediate | $175 USD |
| Gaming Limit | Decline single video game/digital goods (MCC 5816/7994) transaction above $2,000 | Immediate | $2,000 USD |
| Gaming Velocity | Decline if more than 25 gaming transactions within a 2-day period | 2 Days | 25 Transactions |
| Ad Services Limit | Decline single advertising services (MCC 7311) transaction above $10k | Immediate | $10,000 USD |
| Ad Services Velocity | Decline if more than 40 advertising services (MCC 7311) transactions within a 24-hour period | 24 Hours | 40 Transactions |
| Adult Content Limit | Decline single adult content (MCC 5967) transaction above $200 | Immediate | $200 USD |
| Adult Content Velocity | Decline if more than 10 adult content (MCC 5967) transactions within a 24-hour period | 24 Hours | 10 Transactions |
| CVV Security | Block transaction after 4 incorrect CVV attempts within a 24-hour period | 24 Hours | 4 Transactions |
| ATM Withdrawal Limit | Block ATM Withdrawal (MCC 6011) transaction exceeding $250 | Immediate | $250 USD |
| ATM Withdrawal Velocity | Block ATM Withdrawal (MCC 6011) transaction velocity limit reached, more than 3 transactions were attempted within a 24-hour period | 24 Hours | 3 Transactions |
| High Velocity – EA Sports FC | Decline when more than 5 transactions with the same card at Google EA Sports FC occur within a 24-hour period | 24 Hours | 5 Transactions |
| High Velocity – Discord | Decline when more than 10 transactions with the same card at Discord merchants occur within a 7-day period | 7 Days | 10 Transactions |
| High Velocity – Free Fire MAX | Decline when more than 10 transactions with the same card at Google Free Fire MAX occur within a 24-hour period | 24 Hours | 10 Transactions |
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Blocked categories and merchants
Whop Cards block certain merchant category codes (MCCs) and specific merchants by default. See Blocked categories & merchants for the full lists.Next steps
Blocked categories & merchants
See the merchant categories and merchants that Whop Cards block by default
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