Credit Card failures with Authorize.net: what's the error message?

  • SunbridgeInstitute
    Asked on April 21, 2016 at 2:09 PM

    Hi there,

    Can you tell me what it is like for a user whose credit card fails? We are using authorize.net, and one of my users called me saying that he could not get the form to work. It turns out that it was most likely his credit card failing, but the message did not make it clear to him...he thought that there was something wrong with our form.

    Can you tell me the exact message that a user receives when the transaction fails due to bad credit card? This way at least I will know, when someone calls with that message, to suggest that the credit card may be at fault.

    Thank you so much.

  • Kevin Support Team Lead
    Replied on April 21, 2016 at 3:57 PM

    What the message that your submitter received exactly says? 

    I have tested your form using an invalid Credit Card and got this message: 

    Credit Card failures with Authorize Screenshot 20

    I have also checked your integration and noticed that this has been properly set, I think that he received the message because of his Credit Card info, you should ask him to check if there are available funds to make the payment or check if all is correct with the payment info. 

    Please provide us with the message he received, it will help us to understand what happened. 

  • SunbridgeInstitute
    Replied on April 25, 2016 at 9:04 AM

    Could I suggest that you add "of your credit card" to the end of the first sentence? The terminology here is a little vague, and the average non-thinking user is not likely to make the connection that it's an issue with the credit card unless it is spelled out.

    My user got this message, and he thought that he was supposed to call me as the "merchant service provider." I'm sure my users will appreciate being saved the embarrassment of me having to tell them that their credit card is not working--they would rather learn this on the privacy of their computer screen.

    Thank you for considering it.

  • Kiran Support Team Lead
    Replied on April 25, 2016 at 11:06 AM

    I understand. These are the error messages displayed as provided by Authorize.net. It has similar error messages for different errors produced during the integration or payment processing. I've also tried submitting the form and received the same error message. This should be due to using a test credit card number. 

    http://developer.authorize.net/hello_world/testing_guide/?searchid=1461596559421

    But with the error message received, it indicates that the setup is incorrect from the Authorize.net error codes. 

    Credit Card failures with Authorize Screenshot 20

    However, as I check the integration is working fine on your form. Are you receiving payments through the form from other customers without any issue? I believe the error message received by your customer should be a different error message. 

    If you can provide us with the exact error message displayed at your customer's end, we can guide you in the right direction.

    Thank you! 

  • SunbridgeInstitute
    Replied on April 25, 2016 at 11:10 AM

    Thank you for the further information. My user does not remember the exact message. He thought it was the same as what I had read to him from your initial response but he did not write it down. Your information is really helpful to me in assisting my users, however.