Why Was I Charged for a Declined Transaction?

There are two possible reasons:

1. Decline fee. A fee of USD 0.50 applies to each declined transaction. This is why repeated attempts at the same payment can add up.
2. Temporary authorization hold. Some merchants place a temporary hold that can appear as a charge, even when the transaction is ultimately declined or reversed. These holds typically clear on their own.

To avoid the decline fee, check your balance, card status, card number, expiry date, security code, and billing address before you pay, and avoid submitting the same transaction again and again. Transaction results depend on how the merchant and the Visa network process the payment.