Understand Declined, Blocked, and 3D Secure Payment Attempts

Use this guide to understand a declined, blocked, or failed 3D Secure payment and choose the next safe action.

Overview

Declined - The card issuer or payment processor did not approve the payment.
Blocked - The payment attempt was prevented by a fraud or security control before it could be processed.
3D Secure (3DS) - An additional cardholder verification step that may be required during online checkout to help prevent fraudulent transactions.
Pending authorization - A temporary hold placed by the customer's bank while the payment is being verified. A pending authorization does not indicate that the payment was completed in myKaarma.
Captured or successful - The payment has been successfully processed and completed, as indicated by the status in myKaarma.

Important: Before attempting another payment, review the reason for the failed transaction. Repeated payment attempts can trigger additional fraud or security checks and may result in multiple temporary authorization holds appearing on the customer's account.

Review the failed attempt

Go to Payments » Order Status.
Search for the RO and open the correct result.
Select Details in the actions area.
Review the failed transaction attempt and note the exact decline, block, or authentication message.
Confirm the amount, payment method, timestamp, and whether the attempt came from a payment request or an in-person payment.

Expected result: The transaction details show the available reason or status for the failed attempt.

Choose the next step

Reason or symptom	Next step
Incorrect ZIP code, card verification value (CVV), or billing details	Ask the customer to use the billing information exactly as it appears with the card issuer, then retry carefully.
3D Secure authentication failed or was not completed	Ask the customer to complete the bank’s verification prompt. If it fails again, use a different payment method or ask the customer to contact the card issuer.
Issuer decline, withdrawal limit, or insufficient funds	Ask the customer to contact the card issuer or use a different payment method.
Blocked by fraud detector or repeated attempts	Stop repeated retries. Send a fresh payment request when appropriate, use a different payment method, or contact myKaarma Support for review.
Duplicate, velocity, or amount-related safeguard	Confirm that the amount and prior attempts are correct. Use another approved method or split the payment only when your dealership policy and available options allow it.
Pending bank authorization but no successful payment in myKaarma	Do not treat the bank hold as a completed payment. Confirm the transaction status in myKaarma and ask the customer to contact the issuer about the hold.

When the customer says the bank approved the payment

A bank representative may confirm available funds, approve a future attempt, or see a pending authorization. None of those results replaces the successful status in myKaarma. Review the transaction details and use a different payment method when the attempt remains declined or blocked.

Payment alternatives

Send a fresh online payment request.
Ask the customer to try a different card.
Use an in-person card-reader payment when available.
Use an authorized manual payment only when permitted by your dealership.
Split the payment or accept check only when those options are permitted and appropriate.

Contact myKaarma Support

Multiple customers or users at the dealership are experiencing payment failures.
The payment message does not provide a clear next step or resolution.
A security-related block continues even after the customer has attempted payment using a different approved payment method.

When contacting Support, include the following information to help expedite the investigation:

RO or invoice number
Payment amount
Payment method used
Last four digits of the card (if available)
Date and time of the payment attempt
Payment request link used
Screenshot of the error or payment message
Customer contact information entered (phone number or email address)
Whether the issue affects a single customer or multiple customers

Important: Never include the full card number or card security code (CVV/CVC) when submitting information to myKaarma Support.