If your Spendesk card is refused in the USA, this guide helps you find the cause and fix it fast.

For: Employees using a Spendesk physical or virtual USD card in the United States, and Account Owners/Admins managing US card settings.

Before you start

Confirm your phone number is added under My Profile > Security phone number. This is required for 3DS verification.

Symptoms

A physical or virtual card payment is declined in-store or online in the USA.
No error message appears, or the terminal shows a generic decline.
The terminal or website returns a specific message (for example, "PIN required," "Invalid card security code," or "This payment method isn't supported").

Card status issue: the card is not activated, blocked, or the linked wallet doesn't have enough funds.
Card restrictions set by your admin: merchant category, payment type, or time/day restrictions can block a transaction.
PIN issue: an incorrect PIN, or a card blocked after 3 failed PIN attempts.
Contactless not yet activated or limit reached: your first transaction must use the PIN before contactless works, and contactless resets after 5 consecutive payments.
Payment terminal issue: the terminal isn't connected to the internet, isn't configured for chip or contactless, or the merchant doesn't accept your card's type (debit) or network (Visa).
Missing 3DS authentication: your phone number isn't added to Spendesk, which blocks online payment verification.
Unsupported transaction type: some transactions, such as using your card to fund a digital wallet (an "account funding transaction," for example loading PayPal, Revolut, or Curve Cash), aren't supported on Spendesk cards and will always be declined.
Damaged or demagnetized chip: repeated declines on the same card, even with the correct PIN, can indicate physical damage.

Open the Spendesk app and check your card's status in the Cards tab. Confirm it's active and not blocked.
Check your card limit and confirm it's high enough for the transaction.
Ask your admin to confirm no merchant, time, or day restrictions apply to your card.
For in-store payments, try these methods in order:
- Insert your card into the terminal and enter your PIN.
- Swipe your card through the terminal.
- Use contactless (limit: $50 per transaction). If contactless fails, use chip-and-PIN as a backup.
If this is your card's first transaction, complete it using your PIN. This activates contactless payments.
If you've made 5 or more consecutive contactless payments, insert the card and enter your PIN to reset the contactless counter.
Check your PIN in the app under My card > View PIN, and confirm you're entering it correctly.
For online payments, add your phone number under My Profile > Security phone number, then download the Spendesk mobile app to complete 3DS verification when prompted.
Confirm the merchant accepts your card's network (Visa) and card type (debit). Some US merchants only accept one type.
If you're trying to use your card to top up a digital wallet (PayPal, Revolut, Curve Cash, etc.), use a different payment method instead, such as an invoice or expense claim. This transaction type isn't supported on Spendesk cards.
If the terminal shows "Muted card," clean the chip and try again. If the issue persists, the chip may be damaged.

Warning: A card blocked after 3 incorrect PIN attempts cannot be unblocked. Contact your Account Owner or Admin to order a replacement card.

Access: Contactless payments currently can't be disabled on US physical cards, and Apple Pay/Google Pay aren't available for US-issued cards.

If the steps above don't resolve the issue, contact Spendesk support with: