> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.peoplevine.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.peoplevine.com/products/control-panel-overview/transactions-overview/troubleshoot-declined-transaction.md).

# How to Troubleshoot a Declined Transaction

### Before you begin (Prerequisites)

* **Permissions**: Administrator, Supervisor, Support, or Waitstaff. See: [How to Manage Users and Permissions](/products/control-panel-overview/admin-overview/manage-roles-permissions.md).

### Instructions

**Finding declined transactions:**

1. Navigate to [**SELL > View Transactions**](https://control.peoplevine.com/transactions).

> **Note (Pro Dash):** Navigate to **SELL > Transactions > View Transactions**.

2. Click the **DECLINED** quick filter button at the top of the page — or check only the **Declined** checkbox in the Filter by Status section, then click **APPLY**.
3. Click **SHOW DATA** to load results.

**Viewing the decline reason:**

4. Click the **View** icon (blue) on the declined transaction row to open the transaction detail page.
5. For a declined transaction, the page heading reads **"This transaction was declined."** in red.
6. Locate the **Transaction Response** field in the Transaction Details section. This field shows the processor's reason for the decline (e.g., "card\_declined", "insufficient\_funds", "expired\_card").

> **Note**: The decline response comes directly from the payment processor (Stripe for credit cards, GoCardless for ACH) — Peoplevine did not decline the transaction, the payment processor did. For more information beyond the response code shown here, check the Stripe or GoCardless account, or reach out to your processor representative.

**Reading the Raw Response:**

7. Scroll to the bottom of the transaction detail page to find the **Raw Response** section. This contains the full JSON response from the payment processor (e.g., Stripe).
8. The Raw Response includes detailed error codes, decline codes, and additional context from the processor that may not appear in the Transaction Response summary field.

**Marking a transaction as declined:**

9. If a transaction needs to be manually marked as declined (e.g., a transaction showing as "Processing" that will not complete), click the **MARK AS DECLINED** button (red outlined) at the bottom of the transaction detail page.

> **Important**: Use MARK AS DECLINED only when you have confirmed that the payment will not be processed. This is a manual override — it does not trigger a refund or reversal with the payment processor.

### Understanding Declined vs Error

| Status       | What It Means                                                                                                                                                              |
| ------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Declined** | The payment processor rejected the charge (e.g., insufficient funds, expired card, card reported lost). Check the Transaction Response for the specific reason.            |
| **Error**    | The transaction could not be processed due to a technical or system failure — distinct from a card rejection. Check the Transaction Response and Raw Response for details. |

> **Note**: For recurring **membership** billing, a Declined transaction triggers the subscription to move to Failed status — regardless of payment type (Credit Card or ACH/Direct Debit). The system retries at Day 3 and Day 7 (both payment types). After Day 7, automatic billing is completely disabled on the subscription — it will not charge or reattempt on the next regular billing date. Do not manually change a Failed subscription back to Active. Instead, use the **Take Payment** flow on the subscription, or let the member pay via the portal paywall. Once payment succeeds, the subscription automatically moves back to Active. See: [How to Reactivate a Subscription](/products/control-panel-overview/billing-payments-hub/reactivate-subscription.md). This retry sequence does not apply to recurring house account billing.

### Transaction Detail Fields Reference

The transaction detail page shows these key fields for troubleshooting:

| Field                             | What It Shows                                                       |
| --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Charged On**                    | Date and time the charge was attempted                              |
| **Transaction #**                 | Unique transaction number                                           |
| **Transaction Status**            | Status badge (Declined, Error, Processed, etc.)                     |
| **Customer**                      | Member name                                                         |
| **Purchased**                     | What the charge was for (order type, product)                       |
| **Processed By**                  | Who or what initiated the charge (e.g., "Self-Service Transaction") |
| **Payment ID**                    | Processor ID + processor name                                       |
| **Synced With External Platform** | External processor reference ID                                     |
| **Transaction Response**          | Processor decline/error reason                                      |
| **Payment Type**                  | Card brand + masked number + ID                                     |

### Action buttons on the transaction detail page

The available buttons vary by transaction status. The table below covers a declined transaction; on an invoiced transaction detail page, **VOID** replaces **MARK AS DECLINED**. Refund and Track Transaction are middle-of-page toggles rather than buttons.

| Button                                            | What It Does                                                                                                    |
| ------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **E-MAIL DOCUMENT**                               | Email the transaction record                                                                                    |
| **SMS DOCUMENT**                                  | Text the transaction record. **Requires the club's own Twilio account** — Peoplevine does not provision Twilio. |
| **PRINT**                                         | Print the transaction record                                                                                    |
| **DOWNLOAD PDF**                                  | Download as PDF                                                                                                 |
| **GO TO PROFILE** (green)                         | Open the member's CRM profile                                                                                   |
| **GO TO ORDER** (green)                           | Open the linked order                                                                                           |
| **MARK AS DECLINED** (red outlined)               | Manually set the transaction status to Declined                                                                 |
| **VOID** (on an invoiced transaction detail page) | Void the invoice                                                                                                |
| **CONTINUE** (black)                              | Return to the transaction list                                                                                  |

### What Happens Next

* **Retry payment**: Navigate to the member's CRM profile and process a new payment on the subscription or invoice. Do not retry from the declined transaction itself.
* **Update payment method**: If the card is expired or invalid, update the member's payment method first. See: [How to Update a Member's Payment Method](/products/control-panel-overview/charging-payments-overview/update-member-payment-method.md).
* **Failed subscription**: If this was a recurring dues charge, the subscription is now in Failed status. See: [How to Reactivate a Subscription](/products/control-panel-overview/billing-payments-hub/reactivate-subscription.md).
* **Read the page in detail**: For a full walkthrough of the transaction details page (every field, toggle, action button, and how the layout shifts by status), see [How to Read a Transaction Details Page](/products/control-panel-overview/transactions-overview/read-transaction-details.md).

*Last updated: 2026-05-24*


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