Payment refused errors and how to resolve them

This section outlines some of the most common payment_refused errors encountered during payment processing via the Demand API. Each error includes its description, example (if applicable), likely causes, and recommended solutions.

General payment_refused error

This guide details specific errors related to payment being refused and therefore failured, which are returned with the corresponding message.

payment_refused

Name: Payment refused

Description:

• This is a generic error returned when the Payment Service Provider (PSP) does not disclose the specific reason for declining the transaction.

Solution- In such cases, contact the issuing bank for more information regarding the refusal.

Specific payment_refused errors

Fraud

Name: Payment refused - fraud

Description:

• This error is equivalent to payment-related fraud in V2. In earlier versions of the API, the vague message "Book process failed" was used in such cases, which may still be returned for some transactions.

• The primary causes of this error could be:

  • Rejection by the PSP based on fraud detection systems (this is the most frequent cause).

  • Rejection due to the use of CC_NO SCA payment method, which is applicable only to a small group of partners.

Solution - Contact the PSP to investigate the fraud trigger and obtain further details.

insufficient_funds

Name: Payment refused - Insufficient funds

Description:

• This is an error returned by the payment service provider (PSP).
• It means the customer’s card doesn’t have enough balance to cover the charge at the time of the transaction – subsequent attempts at a later date may be successful.

Example response:

{
  "request_id": "01gw7p7mp43dccs5zje3gezwkc",
  "errors": [
    {
      "id": "insufficient_funds",
      "message": "Payment could not be processed: There is insufficient funds on the credit card used to book."
    }
  ]
}

Solution - Ask the user to ensure sufficient funds are available or choose an alternative payment method.

budget_overflow

Name: Payment refused - Budget overflow

Description:

• The transaction exceeds the budget or credit limit associated with the card.

Solution - Confirm the card’s spending limit and retry with a valid payment method.

card_is_expired

Name: Payment refused - Card is expired

Description:

• The credit card provided is no longer valid due to an expired expiry date.

Solution - Use a different card with a valid expiry date.

card_status_invalid

Name: Payment refused - Card status is invalid

Description:

• This message usually appears when the issuer or cardholder has put a restriction on the card.

Example response:

{
  "request_id": "01gw7p7mp43dccs5zje3gezwkc",
  "errors": [
    {
      "id": "card_status_invalid",
      "message": "Payment could not be processed: Payment collection failed."
    }
  ]
}

Solution - The cardholder must contact their issuing bank for further clarification.

invalid_card_number

Name: Payment refused - Invalid card number

Description:

• The provided credit card number is invalid.

Solution - Double-check the card number for accuracy, ensuring it matches the correct format.

invalid_amount

Name: Payment refused - Invalid amount

Description: This error is returned by Booking.com when the amount to be captured is invalid. It usually indicates:

• It typically means the authorised amount (the amount approved for the charge) is less than the amount that needs to be captured.

• In rare cases, it can also occur if the authorised amount is more than the expected capture amount.

This error usually happens due to:

• Rounding issues or configuration bugs.

• A mismatch between the price shown in orders/preview and the final price sent in orders/create — for example, if the price changed between the two steps.

Example:

{
  "request_id": "01gw7p7mp43dccs5zje3gezwkc",
  "errors": [
    {
      "id": "invalid_amount",
      "message": "Payment could not be processed: The amount to be charged is invalid."
    }
  ]
}

Solution - Verify that the amount being charged matches the expected value and format.

invalid_payment_method

Name: Payment refused - Invalid payment method

Description:

• The provided payment method is invalid or unsupported.
• Example of error response:

{
  "request_id": "01gw7p7mp43dccs5zje3gezwkc",
  "errors": [
    {
      "id": "invalid_parameter",
      "message": "Parameter 'payment.method' is invalid."
    }
  ]
}

Solution - Check the payment methods documentation and ensure the specified method is supported.

issuer_cvc_check_failed

Name: Payment refused - Issuer CVC check failed

Description:

• The Card Verification Code (CVC) provided with the payment is invalid, and the issuer rejected it.

Solution - Verify that the correct CVC is entered and that it matches the one on the credit card.

withdrawal_amount_exceeded

Name: Payment refused - Withdrawal amount exceeded

Description:

• The requested payment amount exceeds the limit allowed by the credit card.

Solution - Check the withdrawal limit for the card and adjust the payment amount accordingly.

withdrawal_count_exceeded

Name: Payment refused - Withdrawal count exceeded

Description:

• The credit card used for booking has already been charged too many times, exceeding the allowable number of withdrawals.

Solution - Use a different card or contact the bank to discuss increasing the withdrawal limit.

psp_card_is_blocked

Name: Payment refused - PSP card is blocked

Description:

• The Payment Service Provider (PSP) has blocked the credit card used for the transaction.

Solution - Contact the PSP or bank to resolve the card blockage issue.

sca_required

Name: Payment refused - SCA Required

Description:

• Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) is required for the payment, but the provided authentication is either invalid or incomplete.

Solution - Ensure that SCA data is provided correctly during the transaction process. If the issue persists, contact the PSP or payment provider.

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