Why was my payment declined?

Online payments may fail due to various reasons, depending on the funding method and merchant you want to pay: your bank may decline a transfer, we may have some security concerns or there may be technical issues at the moment. 

General issues and how to resolve them

Sometimes a basic troubleshooting will help you to complete your purchase:

  • clear your browser data and enable your browser pop-ups
  • use a stable Internet connection
  • don’t mask your IP via VPN or other services
  • make sure to always use your own account and your own device when paying with Skrill

In some cases, however, you would see a specific error message with instructions, such as:

  • verify your email address
  • use an alternative payment option

Once you complete the request, retry your payment and it should be processed this time.

Note: Some merchants may not accept payments from your current location due to U.S. regulations. It’s best to check with the merchant directly to find out if you’ll be able to pay them with Skrill.

Balance payments

When you pay a merchant from your Skrill balance, you may see an error message saying that some or all your funds aren’t available for this transfer. This would usually mean that a certain amount you’ve deposited or received to your account is restricted due to the selected purpose of use. In such cases, you can:

  • make a new deposit, making sure to select the correct purpose of use
  • pay with one of the other payment methods that the merchant offers for Skrill

If you don’t see the option to pay from your Skrill balance or see a message saying that balance payments are unavailable, this might mean that the merchant doesn’t currently accept balance payments from your Skrill wallet. To be sure, contact the merchant and check with them. In the meantime, use an alternative payment method.

Credit/debit card payments

Paying with your card via Skrill is generally quick and easy, but sometimes your card issuer may decline the transfer due to reasons of their own. Keep in mind that although card payments are usually instant, some may be delayed or declined due to restrictions imposed by your card issuer. We recommend verifying your card (only available on web) or using one of the other payment options we offer, i.e. iACH or pay with your Skrill balance. 

Instant bank transfer (iACH) payments

Your bank account may not be available for iACH if you haven’t verified it yet or if we can’t connect to your bank at the time of the transaction. In such a case you can remove it from your account and retry your payment, adding the bank account once again. 

Another reason iACH may not be available is when you’ve exhausted the allowable limit. This is reset within 7 days, so please select an alternative option in the meantime. 

At all times, you should ensure you have sufficient balance in your bank account.

If your payment is declined, you’ll normally see an error message onscreen. Follow the instructions or try again later in case of technical issues.

Skrill Visa® Prepaid Card payments

Keep in mind that you can use your Skrill Visa® Prepaid Card only for non-gaming payments. If you try to pay on a gaming website or at a physical casino, the transaction will be automatically declined.

Prepaid voucher payments via paysafecard & Paysafecash

Whenever you use paysafecard or Paysafecash to pay online, make sure that you pay the voucher within the estimated timeframe (usually 3 days for Paysafecash). If you meet technical issues, perform a basic troubleshooting. 

Check out our paysafecard and Paysafecash articles for possible reasons for a failed payment. For any other issues with your prepaid voucher payment, check with paysafecard support and paysafecash support.

The Skrill Visa® Prepaid Card product® is only available to residents of the United States of America, including all 50 states and territories.


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