# Where the card doesn't work

> Countries and merchant categories where the card may not work, reasons for declined payments, and what to do about them.

## Countries

The card cannot be issued to a cardholder from these countries, and payments at merchants in these countries may be declined:

- Afghanistan
- Belarus
- Burundi
- Venezuela
- Haiti
- Guinea-Bissau
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Zimbabwe
- Yemen
- Iraq
- Iran
- China
- DPRK (North Korea)
- Cuba
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Mali
- Myanmar
- Nicaragua
- Russia
- Syria
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Ukraine
- Central African Republic
- South Sudan

For this reason, these countries are not in the "Country" list in the cardholder details. Enter the country where you live. If a purchase is declined because of the merchant's country, the card history will show the decline reason "Payment in this country is unavailable".

## Merchant categories

Some types of payments do not go through with a virtual card. The most common ones are:

- money transfers to individuals, top-ups of other wallets and cards;
- purchases of cryptocurrency and other assets that can be instantly converted into cash;
- gambling, betting, and lotteries;
- payment at the pump at unattended gas stations;
- dating services.

If a category is unavailable, the card history will show the decline reason "Payment in this category is unavailable". This restriction cannot be bypassed — choose a different payment method.

## Other decline reasons

You can see the decline reason in the card history: open the declined transaction and look at the "Decline reason" line. You will also get a "Purchase declined" notification.

| Reason | What it means | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| "Insufficient funds" | There is not enough money on the card to cover the purchase fee, or the spending limit has been exceeded | Top up the card or wait for the limit to reset |
| "3-D Secure verification failed" | The code was not entered, was entered incorrectly, or the request was declined | Repeat the payment and enter a fresh code |
| "Card is frozen or blocked" | The card was frozen by you or has been blocked | Unfreeze the card or contact support |
| "Payment in this country is unavailable" | The merchant is located in a country from the list above | Use a different payment method |
| "Payment in this category is unavailable" | The merchant category is restricted | Use a different payment method |

## Card limits

The card has spending limits: $5,000 per transaction, $20,000 per day, and $100,000 per month. If a purchase exceeds them, it will be declined. For all terms, see the article [Fees and terms](https://help.pswallet.org/en/cryptocards/tariffs).

## What to do if a payment fails

1. Check the card balance: it must cover the purchase and the fee.
2. Look at the decline reason in the card history.
3. If the merchant asks for a 3-D Secure code, check where the codes are sent: "Profile" → "3-D Secure codes".
4. If the card is frozen, tap "Unfreeze" on its page.
5. Try a different payment method at the merchant: for example, Apple Pay or Google Pay instead of entering card details.
6. If nothing helps, contact support: include the time, amount, and merchant name, and attach a screenshot of the error.

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Source: https://help.pswallet.org/en/cryptocards/restrictions