If your payment didn't go through on Back Market, don't worry. You haven't been charged, and your item is still in your cart waiting for you.
If you see a pending charge on your bank statement, it's only a temporary authorization hold. These are not actual charges and will typically be removed within a week; in some cases, it may take up to 30 days. If it hasn't cleared by then, contact your bank directly.
Below are the most common reasons a payment fails and what you can do to fix it.
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Double-check your card details
Complete the security verification
Check for common decline reasons
Try a different payment method
Special situations
Still not working?
Double-check your card details
The most common cause of a failed payment is a simple typo. Before trying again, make sure:
- Your card number is entered correctly, with no missing or extra digits.
- Your expiry date hasn't passed. If your card has been renewed recently, update the expiry date.
- Your security code (the 3-digit CVV on the back of your card, or 4-digit code on the front for Amex) is correct.
- Your billing address matches exactly what your bank has on file, including zip/postal code.
Tip: If you're using a saved card, try deleting it and re-entering your details manually.
Complete the security verification
Your bank may require an extra verification step to approve online purchases. This is normal and helps protect your account.
In Europe (including the UK): Most banks require 3D Secure authentication under PSD2 regulation. When prompted, approve the transaction through your banking app or enter the SMS code sent to your phone. If you're not receiving the code, contact your bank to make sure 3D Secure is activated on your card and that your phone number is up to date.
If a pop-up appeared and closed before you could respond, try again using a different browser or disable your pop-up blocker. You can also try using an incognito/private window to avoid conflicts with browser extensions.
Check for common decline reasons
Insufficient funds or credit limit reached
Make sure you have enough available balance or credit for the full purchase amount. Keep in mind that some banks set separate daily limits for online transactions.
Card blocked by your bank
Banks may flag unusual purchases, especially higher-value transactions on a new website. Call your bank and let them know the transaction is legitimate, then try again while you're still on the line with them.
Bank temporarily unreachable
Occasionally, your bank's systems may be down or experiencing delays. This is a temporary issue. Wait a few minutes and try again.
Tip: When contacting your bank, ask specifically whether they see a declined authorization from Back Market and what the reason was. Your bank has this information, but for privacy reasons, they cannot share it with us directly.
Try a different payment method
If your card keeps being declined, the fastest fix is often to switch to another payment method. Back Market accepts a variety of options, including other cards, PayPal, digital wallets, and Buy Now, Pay Later plans.
See all accepted payment methods
Tip: If your card was declined, trying PayPal or a digital wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay) can often bypass the issue, since they use a different verification path.
Special situations
PayPal payment failed
If PayPal declined your payment, the issue may be between PayPal and your linked card or bank account. Try:
- Logging into PayPal and checking that your card or bank account is still active and verified.
- Paying with a different funding source inside PayPal (e.g., PayPal balance instead of a linked card).
- Contacting PayPal support if the issue persists.
Alternatively, return to Back Market and choose a different payment method entirely.
Technical error on our end
Occasionally, a temporary issue on our side may prevent a payment from going through. If you see a message about a technical error:
- Clear your browser's cache and cookies (search online for instructions specific to your browser).
- Try using a different web browser or an incognito/private window.
- If you're on a corporate or school network, try switching to a personal connection or your mobile data.
- Wait a few minutes and try again.
BNPL payment declined?
If your payment was declined when using Klarna, Affirm, Oney, ClearPay, Afterpay, or Scalapay, the situation is different from a regular card decline.
Back Market has no visibility into why a BNPL provider declined your payment, and our customer support team cannot override their decision. Each new attempt is a fresh assessment, so you may be approved on a subsequent try or for a different order amount.
Common reasons for BNPL declines:
- Outstanding balance with the BNPL provider from a previous purchase.
- Order amount falls outside the accepted range (too low or too high for the plan).
- The provider's internal risk assessment, which considers factors like account history and order frequency.
What to do:
- Check your account directly with the BNPL provider (e.g., log into Klarna, Affirm, or Oney).
- Try reducing your order amount or splitting into separate orders.
- Alternatively, you can try a different payment method.
Still not working?
If you've tried the steps above and your payment still isn't going through:
- Contact your bank first. They can tell you the specific reason the transaction was declined and can often resolve the issue on the spot.
- Contact Back Market support. Include the payment method you tried, any error message you saw, and which troubleshooting steps you've already attempted. This will help us resolve your case faster.