Credit Card Issues
Card Declined: Diagnosis & First Steps
My credit card was declined — what should I do?
If your card was declined, do not retry the transaction multiple times — repeated failed attempts may cause your card to be temporarily blocked by the payment processor.
When a credit card transaction fails at checkout, work through the following steps in order:
- Verify your card information — Check that the card number, expiration date, CVV, and billing address are all entered correctly. A single mismatched field will cause the transaction to fail.
- Contact your card issuer — Your bank may be flagging the charge as suspicious or blocking international transactions. Call the number on the back of your card and ask them to authorize the payment.
- Split the purchase — If you are buying multiple items, try completing the order in separate transactions. A lower transaction amount is less likely to trigger bank-side restrictions.
- Use a different card — If you have a second credit card available, try it. Accepted brands are Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.
- Switch to an alternative payment method — PayPal and wire transfer are both accepted at checkout and do not depend on your card.
- Contact our sales team — If none of the above resolves the issue, reach out for assistance.
Why does my card keep failing at checkout?
Repeated card failures at checkout typically trace back to one of these causes:
- Incorrect card details — A mistyped card number, wrong expiration date, incorrect CVV, or billing address that does not match your bank's records will all cause declines. Double-check every field before resubmitting.
- Bank or issuer block — Many banks flag unfamiliar or international charges automatically. If you have not used your card with Intratec before, your bank may be blocking the transaction as a precaution.
- International transaction restrictions — Some cards are not enabled for online or international purchases by default. This applies even to cards issued in countries where Intratec operates. Contact your bank to confirm the card is cleared for international e-commerce.
- Multiple retry attempts — Submitting the same failed transaction repeatedly can cause the payment processor to place a temporary block on the card. If this has happened, wait before trying again, or switch to a different payment method.
All payments are processed through FastSpring, Intratec's e-commerce partner. If the issue persists after addressing the points above, try PayPal or wire transfer as an alternative.
My bank is blocking my Intratec payment — help
Bank-side blocks are one of the most common reasons a card fails at checkout, especially for first-time purchases or international transactions. The resolution is straightforward: contact your card issuer directly.
Call the customer service number on the back of your card and explain that you are trying to complete a legitimate online purchase with Intratec (intratec.us). Ask them to:
- Confirm the card is enabled for online and international transactions.
- Authorize or whitelist the pending charge.
Once your bank approves the transaction type, you can return to checkout and retry. If you need access to your purchase immediately and cannot resolve the bank block quickly, consider completing the order via PayPal, which processes independently of your card issuer.
Do not retry the card transaction repeatedly while waiting for your bank to respond — repeated failures may cause the payment processor to apply its own temporary block on top of the bank's restriction.
Workarounds & Fallbacks
Can I split my purchase if my card is declined?
Yes — splitting a purchase into separate transactions is one of the recommended steps when a card is declined. If you are ordering multiple items or reports, completing them in separate orders reduces the per-transaction amount, which can help the charge clear when a bank or processor is restricting larger transactions.
To split your purchase, simply complete one item at a time through checkout rather than adding everything to a single cart order.
Splitting a purchase does not affect pricing — volume discounts on Commodity Production Cost reports require all items to be in a single order, so splitting may remove those discounts. If you need a multi-report discount, consider using PayPal or wire transfer for the full order instead.
What can I do if no credit card option works?
If every credit card you try fails at checkout, two alternative payment methods are available: PayPal and wire transfer.
PayPal — Select PayPal at checkout. It processes independently of your card issuer, so a bank block on your card will not affect it. Access to your purchase is granted immediately after payment, the same as with a card.
Wire transfer — Select "Wire Transfer / Invoice / P.O." at checkout. An invoice with bank transfer details will be sent to your email. Note that wire transfers typically take 3–5 business days to be identified, so access to your product is not immediate. Additional fees apply for wire transfer payments.
Sales team assistance — If neither of the above options resolves the situation, contact the sales team. Assisted Sales is available for Pro and Advanced subscription plans and for Detailed and Premium reports; a Representative Assistance Fee starting from USD 299 applies.