š” A declined card almost always comes down to a handful of causes: the card isn't activated, you've hit a spending limit, the merchant is blocked, you tried a peer-to-peer payment, or the billing address you entered didn't match. Work through the checklist below to find which one applies.
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Card not activated: activate it on the Cards tab of your organization's dashboard.
"Insufficient funds" or nothing happens: you've hit your spending limit or your org's balance is low. Ask an organization manager to raise your limit.
"Merchant not allowed": HCB has blocked that merchant, or you tried a peer-to-peer (P2P) payment like Venmo or Cash App.
Online purchase declined: the billing address you entered may not match the one on file. Check it in your address settings.
Grant card declined: grant cards only work at specific approved merchants. Contact the program that issued your grant, not HCB.
Why cards get declined
HCB cards are Visa credit cards, but your credit limit is simply your organization's balance, so there is no risk of overspending. Most declines come down to the same handful of causes:
The card isn't active. A newly issued card has to be activated before its first use.
You've reached a spending limit. If a manager set a spending limit (an "allowance") on your card, the card declines once you reach it. Limits do not reset automatically.
Your organization's balance is low. Because the credit limit is your balance, a card can't spend money the organization doesn't have.
The merchant is blocked. HCB blocks merchants that don't meet nonprofit and charity compliance rules.
You tried a blocked payment type. Peer-to-peer payments (Venmo, Cash App, PayPal "friends and family," Zelle) and ACH withdrawals are not allowed on HCB cards. Apple Wallet and Google Pay, on the other hand, work great.
The billing address didn't match. For online purchases, the billing address you enter at checkout must match the one on file in your HCB account settings. If it doesn't, the charge can be declined. HCB billing addresses are US addresses only, so some international merchants may not accept the card; in that case you'll need another way to pay.
ā ļø To send money to a person, don't use a card. Go to your organization's dashboard and use the Transfers tab instead (ACH, check, wire, or Wise).
How to fix it
On your organization's dashboard, open the Cards tab and confirm the card shows as Active. If it's frozen or not yet activated, activate it there.
Check whether you have a spending limit. If you've hit it, ask an organization manager to raise it from the Team tab.
Confirm your organization has enough balance for the purchase.
If it was an online purchase, make sure the billing address you entered matches the one in your account settings.
If you saw "Merchant not allowed" and believe it's blocked by mistake, or you have a legitimate charitable reason to use it, email us with the merchant name and what you were buying.
If this is a grant card
If your card came from a Hack Club program as a card grant, it can only be used at the merchant or merchants the program approved. A decline usually means the merchant isn't on that list. HCB support can't change another program's restrictions, so contact the program that issued your grant.
Still stuck?
Email us at [email protected] with the merchant name, the amount, and the date and time of the attempt. That information lets the team see the declined transaction and tell you exactly why.