Common Payment Error Messages and What They Mean

Below is a guide to the most common payment error messages you may see in SigmaMD, along with what they typically indicate and how to resolve them.

  • Insufficient funds / Not sufficient funds / Over credit limit

    The account does not have enough available funds or credit. Ask the patient to use another card or contact their bank.

  • Exceeds withdrawal or approval amount limit / Activity limit exceeded

    The card has hit a daily, per-transaction, or usage limit set by the bank.

Card Expiration Issues

  • Expired card / Expired card or expiration date missing / Invalid expiration date

    The card is no longer valid or the expiration date is incorrect. The patient must provide an updated card.

Generic Bank Declines

  • Do not honor / Declined / Deny / Refer to card issuer

    The issuing bank declined the transaction without a specific reason. The patient should contact their card issuer.

  • Do not honor – fraud / Declined for loss prevention

    The bank flagged the transaction as potentially fraudulent. The patient must contact their bank before retrying.

Card Status Issues

  • Lost card / Stolen card / Pick up card / Capture card

    The card has been reported lost or stolen. The patient must use a different card.

  • Closed account / No credit account

    The account is no longer active or eligible for transactions.

Invalid Card or Account Details

  • Invalid card number / Invalid account number / Invalid or nonexistent account

    The card or account details entered are incorrect. Verify and re-enter the information.

  • Invalid issuer / No such issuer

    The card issuer is not recognized or supported.

Transaction Restrictions

  • Transaction not permitted / Restricted card / Blocked card

    The cardholder’s bank does not allow this type of transaction (common with certain debit or business cards).

Duplicate or Reference Errors

  • Duplicate request

    The transaction appears to be a repeat submission. No action may be needed unless the charge did not go through.

  • Original transaction not found

    A referenced transaction could not be located, often during refunds or adjustments.

System or Network Issues

  • Issuer or switch unavailable / Authorization platform error / System malfunction

    A temporary issue on the bank or processor side. Retry later or use a different card.

Security & Verification Failures

  • CVV or security validation failures

    Card security checks failed. Verify the card details or use another card.

  • Allowable number of PIN tries exceeded

    Too many incorrect PIN attempts. The patient must contact their bank.

ACH-Specific Errors

  • ACH type not allowed / Authentication failed

    The bank does not allow this ACH transaction type or authorization needs to be re-established.

  • ACH original transaction not found

    The referenced ACH transaction could not be located.

What You Can Do When a Payment Fails

  • Review the error message shown on the invoice.
  • Ask the patient to verify their card or bank details.
  • Suggest trying a different payment method.
  • Recommend the patient contact their bank or card issuer.

Tip: You can view invoice status and payment status (with error details) by opening the invoice.

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