Your card may get declined in the following scenarios:
• When you don’t have enough money on the card to cover the purchase (be aware that some merchants, such as restaurants and car hire companies, may require the card to have an available balance greater than the purchase amount, before they will authorise the payment)
• If a merchant is unable to check for authorisation (confirming that you have enough available funds) before a transaction is completed, the transaction will be declined. This could happen on board cruises, flights and trains, at motorway toll booths and some automated terminals, for example parking payment machines
• If you use your card at self-service petrol pumps. You can still use your explorer card to pay for petrol inside the petrol station
• When you have exceeded your daily spend limit (please refer to our fees and limits)
• If you try to withdraw cash from an ATM and the amount is greater than the available balance on your explorer card (including any applicable fees) or more than the ATM's issuing limit. Please note: If an ATM screen prompts you to choose 'which account?', it is recommended that you choose the 'Credit' option.
• If the merchant you are purchasing from does not accept Mastercard® Prepaid
Your explorer card cannot be used for any of the following:
- Money transfers (i.e. – the sending of funds to a third party)
- Accessing money transfers
- Cash back services
- Purchasing goods from adult internet sites or gambling locations
- Any other activities which are considered unlawful
There are some countries and geographic regions where the use of the explorer card is currently prohibited.
If you attempt to withdraw cash from an ATM, or use your card at shops, restaurants, hotels and online in any of these countries or geographic regions, your request will be declined and the reason given as ‘Decline, prohibited country’.
The countries and geographic regions where the use of the explorer card is currently prohibited are:
- Iran
- North Korea
- Sudan
- Syria
- Crimea
What happens if I do not have sufficient funds available in the relevant currency to cover the value of the transaction plus the tolerance amount?
If the value of the transaction plus the tolerance percentage or flat amount exceeds the relevant available currency balance on your explorer card, the remaining amount will be funded by converting that amount into the next available currency on your card in the order of priority. Please see your explorer card terms and conditions for further information on the order of priority. The exchange rate used is the rate determined by Mastercard® to be the wholesale rate in effect on the day the transaction is authorised by the merchant plus the foreign exchange fee.
At bars and restaurants, tolerances are only applied to transactions authorised by magstripe rather than by chip or contactless. At petrol stations, tolerance is applied to all automated fuel pump transactions.
Please also see the ‘Using the Card’ section of your card terms and conditions.
What happens if I do not have sufficient funds available in my total available card fund to cover the value of the transaction plus the tolerance amount?
If you do not have sufficient funds available in your total available card fund to cover both the value of the transaction plus the tolerance amount, the transaction may be declined.
For example, you have lunch at a restaurant and the total bill is US$50.00. You only have US$50.00 on your explorer card and there is a 20% tolerance applied to restaurant transactions. If the restaurant tries to charge your card with US$50.00, it will be declined because 20% tolerance is added to the transaction amount and there will be insufficient funds to cover US$60.00 ($50 + 20% tolerance ($10) = $60.00).
Please ensure you remember to take the tolerance amount into account. If you are using your explorer card at one of the merchant types where tolerance is applied, you may be unable to use your card, unless you have enough in your total available card fund to cover the addition of tolerance. If the merchant supports it however, you can use your explorer card to make a partial payment, and cover the balance with some other payment method. Just make sure you tell the cashier before you start the transaction and confirm the amount you want deducted from your card. The cashier should process your card payment first, and then accept the remainder of the balance in whichever way you want to pay it.
At bars and restaurants, tolerances are only applied to transactions authorised by magstripe rather than by chip or contactless. At petrol stations, tolerance is applied to all automated fuel pump transactions.
Please also see the ‘Using the Card’ section of your card terms and conditions.