This article lists every reason a Perk Card transaction can be declined and what to do about each one.
Where do I see the reason for a decline?
Every declined transaction appears in your transaction list along with the specific decline reason, so you don't have to guess. Open the transaction to see which of the reasons below applies.
What does "This merchant is not approved for any of your rewards" mean?
This means the merchant's category doesn't match any category your funded rewards approve, and none of your rewards are open to all merchants. Check your funded rewards' approved categories, or see "Where can I use my Perk Card?" for the full list of categories.
What does "The approved amount is not enough to fund the reward" mean?
This means the purchase amount is higher than what's available in the reward(s) that would otherwise cover it. You'll need a lower purchase amount or additional funded balance in a matching reward.
What does "This merchant is banned in our system" mean?
Some merchants are blocked platform-wide and will always decline, regardless of your rewards or balance. This isn't specific to your account.
What does "Your organization is no longer active" mean?
This means your employer's PerkUp subscription is no longer active, which also cancels member Perk Cards. Contact your HR or People team for next steps.
What are the card-side decline reasons?
Card inactive: your card is automatically inactive when your balance is at zero. It reactivates once funds arrive.
Insufficient funds: your available balance doesn't cover the purchase amount.
Spending limit exceeded: your Perk Card has a $1,000/month spending limit, separate from your balance.
Suspected fraud: the transaction was flagged as potentially fraudulent.
Verification failed: double-check the billing address, expiry date, and CVC you entered at checkout against what's shown in your PerkUp account.
What should I do if my transaction was declined?
First, check the decline reason shown on the transaction in your account — it will match one of the reasons above. If the reason points to a fix you can make yourself (like re-entering your billing address or CVC, or choosing a merchant your rewards cover), try that first. If the reason is unclear, or you believe the decline is a mistake, contact support through the messenger on this help center or in the app and reference the transaction.
My employer's account ran out of funds
Some declines aren't about your card at all: if the organization funding account behind your reward has run out, the charge is declined with "the account balance is not enough to fund the program". Ask your admin to top up the funding account, then try again.