Troubleshooting a declined credit card charge

If the credit card you use to pay for GitHub is declined, you can take several steps to ensure that your payments go through and that you are not locked out of your account.

In this article

If your card is declined, we'll send you an email about why the payment was declined. You'll have a few days to resolve the problem before we try charging you again.

1. Check your card's expiration date and add your new card's details

Start by checking your card's expiration date. If your card has expired, you'll need to update your account's payment information.

  1. Select your account and then access the "Billing & Licensing" page.
  2. Click Update payment method.
  3. Click Payment information to display full details of your payment method.
  4. If your saved card has expired, click Edit.
  5. Enter your new card details and save your changes.

For more detailed instructions, see Managing payment information.

2. Verify your bank's policy on card restrictions

Some international banks place restrictions on international, e-commerce, and automatically recurring transactions. If you're having trouble making a payment with your international credit card, call your bank to see if there are any restrictions on your card.

We also support payments through PayPal. For more information, see Managing your payment and billing information.

3. Contact your bank for details about the transaction

If your card is still valid, you have no restrictions on it, or the restrictions don't apply to your payments for GitHub services, you need to call your bank. Your bank can provide additional information about declined payments if you specifically ask about the attempted transaction. Important information to provide includes:

  • The amount you're being charged. The amount for your subscription appears on your account's receipts. For more information, see Managing your payment and billing information.
  • The date when GitHub bills you. Your account's billing date appears on your receipts.
  • The transaction ID number. Your account's transaction ID appears on your receipts.
  • The merchant name. The merchant name is GitHub.
  • The error message your bank sent with the declined charge. You can find your bank's error message on the email we send you when a charge is declined.