It can be frustrating when a payment fails, especially when you are at a station and ready to charge. If your card is declined while starting a session, subscribing to a plan, or adding a payment method, the rejection is coming directly from your card-issuing bank, not the EVCS app.
Common Reasons for a Decline
Banks use automated security filters to protect your account. Your card may be declined for the following reasons:
Incorrect Billing ZIP Code: The billing address entered must match exactly what your bank has on file.
Security Flags: Your bank may flag "EV Charging" as an unusual category if you haven't used your card for this purpose before.
Insufficient Funds: For Pay As You Go sessions, your bank must be able to clear a Pre-Authorization Hold. If your balance is lower than the hold amount, the session will fail.
Expired Details: Check that the expiration date and CVV (3-digit code) were entered correctly.
Recommended Steps
Verify Your Information: Delete the payment method and re-add it, paying close attention to the card number and ZIP code.
Check for Bank Notifications: Look for a text message or mobile app notification from your bank asking you to "Approve" the transaction.
Contact Your Bank: Call the number on the back of your card. Specifically ask why the transaction for EVCS was blocked. They can usually clear the "flag" on your account immediately.
Use an Alternative Method: If the issue persists, try adding a different credit/debit card or using an alternative payment method like Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Note: If your bank confirms that the transaction is being approved on their end but it still fails in our app, please contact EVCS Support with the date and time of your attempt.