If you see an error when trying to make a purchase with Afterpay, here is what each message means and how to fix it.
Payment declined
What it means: Afterpay was not able to approve this purchase.
Common causes:
- You have overdue payments on another order.
- The purchase amount exceeds your available to spend limit.
- Your linked payment method has insufficient funds for the first installment.
How to fix it:
- Open Afterpay and check for any overdue payments. Pay them first.
- Check your available to spend amount. The purchase may exceed it.
- Make sure your linked debit card or bank account has enough funds for the first payment (typically 25% of the order total).
Transaction not eligible
What it means: This specific purchase cannot be made with Afterpay.
Common causes:
- The item or merchant category is restricted (for example, gift cards or certain financial products).
- The purchase amount is below the minimum or above the maximum for Afterpay at that merchant.
- The merchant's Afterpay integration has a temporary restriction.
How to fix it:
- Check if the merchant lists any Afterpay restrictions on their website.
- Try a different item. Some product categories are excluded.
- If you believe this is an error, contact the merchant to confirm Afterpay is available for your purchase.
Insufficient funds
What it means: Your linked payment method does not have enough funds for the first installment.
How to fix it:
- Check your bank account or debit card balance.
- Make sure you have enough to cover the first payment (typically 25% of the order total, due at checkout).
- Update your payment method if needed: Open Afterpay → Payment methods → update your card or bank details.
Note: Afterpay charges the first installment at the time of purchase. The remaining 3 payments are scheduled every 2 weeks.
Something went wrong
What it means: A technical issue prevented the transaction from processing.
How to fix it:
- Close the Afterpay app completely and reopen it.
- Check for app updates in your device's app store.
- Clear your app cache (Settings → Apps → Afterpay → Clear cache).
- Try again in a few minutes. This is often a temporary server issue.
- If using Afterpay in a browser, clear your browser cache and cookies, then retry.
Account frozen
What it means: Your Afterpay account has a restriction that prevents new purchases.
How to fix it:
- Check your Afterpay notifications for details about the restriction.
- Common reasons: missed payments, identity verification needed, or suspicious activity flagged.
- See: Why is my Afterpay account frozen?
When errors keep happening
If you have tried the steps above and still see errors:
- Make sure your app is updated to the latest version.
- Try a different payment method.
- Wait 24 hours and try again (some restrictions are temporary).
- Contact Afterpay support if the error persists after 24 hours.