Why was this gift declined, and what should I do?
You'll eventually have declined or failed gifts with any digital giving platform. This resource shows you where to find the information you need and what actions you can take with your givers.
How are declines reflected in reporting?
Your managers (with proper permissions) can view gift declines within the details of a batch deposit report.
You can identify declined gifts from the following values on the batch report:
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Gross Amount column shows the amount that will be deducted from the next deposit. Because a gift's amount is deposited into your organization's account before a gift clears, a decline necessitates "settling up."
Givers see gift declines within their giver profiles. Your managers (with proper permissions) can also view gift declines within a giver's profile.
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Payment Type shows payment method.
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Status shows the gift's final destination (approved, declined, voided, refunded, chargeback).
Note: If there's a decline, an additional line item will show funds credited back to the giver's account.
Why was the gift declined?
In most cases, a decline is due to a limitation placed by the credit card issuer or bank.
To resolve a decline, a donor must typically contact their Credit Card Provider or Bank.
To determine why a transaction was declined, see the Reason column within the Transactions Report. The Reason column displays decline codes provided to us by the Credit Card or Bank. (Learn how to display the Reason column).
Learn More:
Important: Almost all decline codes are provided to us directly from the credit card provider or bank. Some codes we're given are intentionally vague for donor privacy, such as "invalid transaction," which can mean a transaction failed for several reasons.
If a code is unclear, the best solution is for the donor to contact the Credit Card Provider or Bank for further explanation.
What happens when I update the Payment Method for a Declined Donation?
Important: If the Payment Profile is being updated due to a declined payment, the declined transaction will automatically reprocess once the new Payment Profile is saved.
In other words, if you update the credit card or bank account for a declined gift, our system will automatically re-try processing the donation.
Is the giver notified, or do I need to let them know?
Declined Credit Card gifts
When a donation is made via Credit Card, the donor will immediately see whether it was approved or declined. If a donor's recurring credit/debit card gift is declined, they'll receive a system-generated notification email.
Declined ACH Gifts
Since ACH gifts take longer to clear, the giver won't receive an immediate decline notification. If the ACH gift declines, the funds will be pulled from your organization's next deposit and credited back to the giver. This is noted in your organization's reporting.
You can follow up with a donor to provide additional information, but you are not required to take any action.
As always, if you have any other questions, feel free to send us a message. We're here to help! 😄
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