Venmo was created as a quick and easy way to send money to your friends, family, and other connections without having to find an ATM or rely on lengthy bank-to-bank transfers. However, sometimes Venmo doesn’t always work as expected. Many users commonly report technical errors.
If you’re getting an error message that says “There was an issue with your payment” on Venmo, it’s most likely because of insufficient funds. To fix the error, you can add more money to your account or switch to a different payment method.
However, if you know your card or bank account information is up-to-date, then there might be another issue causing the error message.
If you’ve recently run into one of these annoying messages, then you’ve come to the right article.
Today, I’m going to help explain why you’re getting the message and some of the most common reasons why your Venmo payment could be declining.
The good news is that these issues can usually be fixed with a bit of simple troubleshooting.
“There was an issue with your payment” on Venmo
Your Venmo card or app payment could give you an error for a variety of different reasons. Unfortunately, one of the things that I hate about Venmo is that they never tell you exactly why you’re getting the error.
They kind of just leave it up to you to figure out on your own. Their customer service takes forever to answer the phone, too (and sends you to foreign call centers), so I usually don’t even bother.
Lucky for you, I’ve had plenty of experience dealing with the ins and outs of Venmo’s often-complicated platform.
Below, I’ve compiled a conclusive list of all the reasons why you could be getting the There was an issue with your payment error.
Hopefully, one of them is able to solve your problem!
Your Debit Card Details Need To Be Updated
The most common problem I’ve found is that my linked debit card or credit card is expired. This is why it’s important to keep track of all of the payment methods saved on your account.
Once, I had to replace my debit card through my bank. I forgot to update my Venmo account with my card’s new expiration date (even though it had the same number), and I spent hours trying to figure out why my payments wouldn’t go through.
Something told me to double-check my debit card information saved on Venmo, and bingo– problem solved!
If you’ve recently received a new card in the mail or your old card has expired, just make sure to update your Venmo account with all of the new information.
You Don’t Have Sufficient Funds
Any service will decline your payment if your linked bank account or debit card doesn’t have enough money to cover the charge.
If Venmo is giving you the same error repeatedly, make sure to check your bank account and make sure that it’s not negative and that you have enough money.
Your Bank Flagged The Transaction
Sometimes, your bank can be fickle.
If you don’t use Venmo very often, or if you’re attempting a particularly large transaction, then your bank could flag it as potential fraud.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of scammers who regularly receive payments through Venmo and Paypal, and the bank’s job is to keep you safe.
If you suspect that your bank may have flagged your account, then your best bet is to give your bank a call. Inform them that the transaction you’re trying to make is yours and that you’re not being scammed.
Your Venmo Debit Card Is Damaged
If you have a Venmo debit card that’s causing problems and is getting declined, then it could be due to a damaged card.
The magnetic stripe or the gold chip may have become scratched and unreadable by credit card machines. Sometimes holding the cards too close to magnets or in the same pocket as your smartphone is also enough to damage the card.
There Isn’t Enough Money In Your Venmo Balance
If you’re trying to send money in-app or use the Venmo card, double-check your Venmo balance to see how much you have left.
If you’re sending money in-app and don’t have enough money in your Venmo balance, you will need to switch the app to send the money using your linked debit card or bank account.
Your Internet/Data Connection Is Bad
If your connection times out or you lose wifi/cellular data during the middle of the transaction, then your app will automatically show an error.
In this situation, your best bet is to re-connect and try again.
Venmo’s Servers Are Experiencing Problems
Sometimes, the problem has nothing to do with you at all!
With so many users across the country, Venmo’s servers may become overloaded or glitch. If you suspect that the problem is on their end, then you’re better off waiting for an hour or two for the problem to resolve itself, and then try sending the money again.
How Venmo Works
Launched in 2009, the popular peer-to-peer money sending platform is now 12-years-old, making it one of the oldest in the game.
Venmo works by connecting your account to your bank or a debit/credit card. Once your payment information is connected and verified, you can quickly send money to other Venmo users by using one of the payment methods stored in your account.
To send money, you have to be over 18 years old. The app is available in the United States and Puerto Rico only.
If you receive money that’s stored in your Venmo balance, you can either transfer this money into your personal account or send it to somebody else. You can also Venmo money to yourself.
Recently, Venmo also released their Venmo debit card which allows you to make purchases anywhere that Visa or Mastercard is accepted.
You may also use your Venmo debit card to withdraw funds from your Venmo balance at any ATM in the United States.
For the most part, Venmo transfers and the Venmo debit card work smoothly. However, sometimes problems arise, and the payment is declined.
This can leave you in a bind, especially if you don’t have any other forms of payment with you.