Banks and payment processors have all kinds of security systems in place that can lead to unexpected errors when making online payments.
A failed payment is most likely due to one of these reasons:
- Insufficient funds are the most common reason why online payments fail. Ensure you have enough money in your account before you buy an eSIM online or top-up to avoid a payment malfunction and your bank imposing a fee.
- Payments made via a VPN or proxy are often flagged as fraud because of their unusual IP address. We use Stripe as our payment processor and it does not respond well to transactions being processed over a VPN.
- The ZIP code you use when filling in your bank details is different from the one associated with the billing address held by the issuer bank.
- The O2 service does not work outside the UK and EU. So it is not possible to purchase this from outside the UK and EU.
Stripe is one of the most well known and widely used payment processors in the world. It has been audited by an independent PCI Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) and is certified as a PCI Level 1 Service Provider.
Authorisation on bank statements
When there is a failed payment, depending on the type of card being used, you may see the card issuer’s authorisation for the payment amount on your statement. This amount has not been charged and no funds have been taken. The authorisation should be removed from your statement by the card issuer within a few days.
If you are experiencing issues with a payment you can get in touch with our support team at support@esim.net.
Find more answers to frequently asked questions about our eSIM services.