Reasons for card declines

If you are making an online purchase and your card has been declined check that your card details have been added correctly.

• The long card number
• Expiry date
• Account holder’s name as it appears on the card.
• The 3-digit CVV number (or security code) on the back of your card.

As part of strong customer authentication we’ll also ask you for one of two methods to approve online purchases; our security app, Danske ID or a password you create, used alongside the six digit one time passcode which we currently text you. Find out more about strong customer authentication.

If your card has been declined, firstly check your balance to make sure there are sufficient available funds in your account.

You can check your balance:

• By logging on to the Mobile Banking App or eBanking
• At an ATM
• By calling into your local branch
• By contacting our Customer Support team on 0345 600 2882

You can also use our Account Balance Service to receive alert texts and emails, helping you to stay on top of your finances. Find out more about service alerts.

If you have recently received a new or replacement debit or credit card, check to make sure you are using your new card and not one that has expired or has been blocked. If you have received a new PIN for your card, double check to make sure that you are using the correct PIN with the correct card.

If you have the Mobile Banking app, you can double check your PIN:

• Log on to the App
• Tap the ‘Cards’ option along the top menu
• Select the card you wish to view the PIN for (if more than one card is available)
• Tap ‘view PIN’.
• Enter your passcode which you use to log on to the Mobile Banking app.
• Press ‘Hold to see PIN’ to reveal your 4 digit card PIN.

If you have received a new or replacement debit or credit card, please ensure you have activated the card using one of the following methods:

• Use it with the correct PIN in a shop's card terminal, at a cash machine or in your local Post Office
• Log on to our Mobile Banking App, tap 'Cards' and then select the card you want to activate
• Log on to eBanking, select 'Cards and currency' - ' Card overview' and click the arrow beside the card you want to activate

In order to activate contactless functionality on your new or replacement card, you’ll need to make your first purchase by inserting your card into the card terminal in-store and entering your PIN. Find out more about activating a new card on our card activation page.

If you’ve entered your PIN incorrectly three times in a row when using an ATM or at a chip and PIN terminal, we’ll block your PIN as a safety measure to keep your account secure, just in case your card has been lost or stolen and someone else is trying to use it.

If you have the Mobile Banking app, you can double check your PIN in the first instance:

• Log on to the App
• Tap the ‘Cards’ option along the top menu
• Select the card you wish to view the PIN for (if more than one card is available)
• Tap ‘view PIN’.
• Enter your passcode which you use to log on to the Mobile Banking app.
• Press ‘Hold to see PIN’ to reveal your 4 digit card PIN.

Unblocking your card:

If you enter your PIN incorrectly too many times at an ATM, you can unblock your card on eBanking or within the Mobile Banking app. If you don’t have eBanking contact our Customer Support team on 0370 850 2481 (or +44 2890 049201 if you are calling from outside the UK) to unblock the card and if needed, we can issue a PIN reminder letter.

If you enter your PIN incorrectly on three consecutive occasions at a point of sale, you can remove it by using a Danske Bank ATM or an ATM with PIN management functionality. Find your closest Danske Bank ATM location using our ATM finder.

Contactless payments have a limit of £100. If you're trying to buy something for over £100, you’ll need to insert your card and enter your PIN to make the purchase.

You can lower your contactless limit at any time through our Mobile Banking app, by calling us, or by visiting any branch. Learn more.

If you’ve received a new or replacement card, you’ll need to make your first purchase by inserting your card and entering your PIN in the card terminal in-store in order to activate the contactless functionality. Learn more about card activation.

When paying by contactless, an additional card security feature means that occasionally you will be asked to insert your card into the terminal and enter the PIN in order to complete a transaction, so if your contactless transaction doesn’t go through, try inserting your card and using your PIN instead.

If you have a spending limit set on your debit card this means there is a daily restriction placed in order to limit the amount that you can spend each day. If your card has been declined, it could mean that you have reached your spending limit for the day and further transactions won’t be possible until the following day when your spending limit for the day is reset.

To request a change to or removal of a spending limit contact our Card Services team on 0370 850 2481 or call into your local branch.

Strong Customer Authentication gives you greater protection when you’re shopping online with your Danske Mastercard.

Online retailers may ask you for one of two methods to approve online purchases; our security app, Danske ID or a password you create, used alongside the six digit one time passcode which we currently text you. Find out more about strong customer authentication.