Troubleshooting payment issues

Check your billing details

Confirm that your card number, expiration date, and postal code match your bank records. Small mismatches are the top cause of declines. Payment processors are extremely precise, and even a minor discrepancy between what you enter and what your bank has on file will result in a declined transaction.

The postal code must match exactly what your credit card company has associated with your billing address. If you've recently moved and updated your address with some institutions but not others, this mismatch could cause issues. Check your recent credit card statement to see what address is currently on file.

Make sure you're entering the card's expiration date correctly, paying attention to whether the month or year comes first in the format. Some forms expect MM/YY while others use MM/YYYY. Auto-fill features sometimes populate these fields incorrectly, so it's worth double-checking even if your browser filled in the information automatically.

Card verification value (CVV) errors are also common. This three or four-digit security code must be entered exactly as it appears on your card—on the back for most cards or on the front for American Express. If the numbers are worn or difficult to read, try viewing your card under good lighting or contacting your card issuer to confirm the correct code.

Retry the charge securely

Refresh the checkout page and try again. We never store your card number on our servers—payments are processed through Stripe, an industry-leading payment processor trusted by millions of businesses worldwide. Your payment information is encrypted end-to-end and handled with the highest security standards.

If your first attempt was declined, wait a few minutes before retrying. Some card issuers temporarily flag rapid repeated attempts as potential fraud, which could cause additional legitimate attempts to be declined automatically. Taking a brief pause helps reset these fraud detection systems.

Before retrying, verify that you haven't accidentally been charged despite seeing an error message. Check your bank account or credit card activity to confirm no charge went through. While rare, sometimes a payment processes successfully but a communication error makes it appear as though it failed.

Consider trying a different payment method if you have one available. If your credit card is being declined but you have a debit card, PayPal account, or another credit card, switching payment methods can quickly resolve the issue. Sometimes specific card issuers have temporary processing issues that don't affect other payment options.

Understanding common decline reasons

Card issuers decline transactions for various reasons beyond incorrect information. Insufficient funds is an obvious cause, but cards can also be declined if you've reached your daily spending limit, if the charge seems unusual compared to your normal spending patterns, or if your card issuer has flagged the transaction for security review.

International card issuers sometimes block transactions with US-based businesses or require you to notify them before making international purchases. If you're outside the United States and seeing declines, contact your card issuer to confirm they allow international online transactions.

Some prepaid cards and virtual cards have restrictions that prevent them from being used for recurring payments or subscriptions. Even if you're making a one-time purchase, if our system is set up to potentially offer subscriptions, certain card types may be automatically declined.

Bank fraud protection systems sometimes decline legitimate transactions that seem suspicious. This could happen if you recently got a new card, if you're making a purchase from a new location, or if the transaction amount is significantly different from your typical spending patterns. These security measures protect you, but they can occasionally cause inconvenience.

Still seeing an error?

Contact support with the last four digits of your card and the timestamp of the attempt. We can investigate immediately and hold your upgrade pricing. Our support team has access to detailed transaction logs that can help identify exactly why a payment was declined, even if the error message you received was generic.

When contacting support, include as much detail as possible: the exact error message you received, whether you've tried multiple times, which payment methods you've attempted, and whether you've successfully used this card on our platform previously. This information helps us diagnose the problem more quickly.

We understand that payment issues are frustrating, especially when you're ready to complete your purchase and access your results. Our support team treats these issues as urgent and typically responds within a few hours during business hours. For time-sensitive situations, mention that in your support request.

If we identify that the problem is on our end—perhaps a temporary processing issue or a configuration problem—we'll work quickly to resolve it and ensure you can complete your purchase without any penalty or price increase. We appreciate your patience and want to make the situation right.

Alternative payment options

If you're unable to resolve credit card issues, ask about alternative payment methods. Depending on your location and the nature of the issue, we may be able to accommodate bank transfers, PayPal, or other payment options. While credit cards are our primary payment method, we want to ensure everyone can access our services.

For organizations or companies purchasing multiple assessments, we can provide invoicing options that allow you to pay through your standard accounts payable processes. Contact our sales team to discuss bulk purchasing and enterprise payment arrangements.

Preventing future payment issues

Once you've successfully completed a purchase, consider saving your payment method for future transactions if you plan to use our services again. This not only makes future purchases faster but also allows our payment processor to build a positive transaction history with your card, reducing the likelihood of fraud flags.

Keep your account billing information up to date, especially if you get a new card, move to a new address, or change phone numbers. Outdated information is a common cause of payment failures for repeat purchases.

If you're purchasing credits or premium access for future use, consider doing so during promotional periods when payment processing volumes are lower. End-of-month, holiday periods, and major sale days sometimes see higher decline rates due to increased transaction volumes and heightened fraud detection sensitivity.