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Troubleshooting International Card Payments

If you're trying to make a payment using a debit or credit card issued by a non-US or non-Canadian bank, but your transaction gets declined, you're not alone. This issue typically originates from the card-issuing bank or local regulations, not from the payment system used by MightyCall. Below is a detailed explanation of why this happens and how it can be resolved.

What causes these errors?

We use trusted third-party payment gateways such as Stripe and Authorize.net, which support international payments. However, some cards (especially those issued by banks in India, Pakistan, or the Philippines) may fail due to:

Card issuer limitations

Many banks in these countries issue cards with international usage disabled by default. This applies especially to debit cards, which may be restricted to domestic transactions only.

  • India & Pakistan: Most debit cards are local-use unless explicitly enabled for international e-commerce.

  • Philippines: Many cards, including those from major banks like BDO, BPI, and Metrobank, require manual activation for international or online use.

Even if the card appears to be enabled, banks may block:

  • Certain merchant categories (e.g., software, digital services);

  • Recurring or subscription-based purchases;

  • Transactions made through foreign gateways.

Regulatory restrictions

Central banks in some countries impose strict controls on cross-border payments, for example:

  • India: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) enforces foreign exchange compliance and may block non-compliant international payments.

  • Pakistan: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) restricts outbound international transactions, especially for non-essential services.

  • Philippines: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) does not prohibit international payments, but individual banks may impose their own risk controls or require user consent.

Authentication requirements (3D Secure)

Issues can arise when the cardholder hasn’t enrolled their card in 3D Secure.

Unsupported card networks or products

Some cards, especially from India, Pakistan, or the Philippines, may be branded with:

  • RuPay (India): often domestic-only;

  • UnionPay or local-only Visa/Mastercard variants;

  • ATM cards mistakenly used as debit cards in online environments.

These may not be compatible with international payment gateways.

What you can do

If your card was declined:

  1. Contact your bank and verify that:

    • International and online payments are enabled;

    • Your card supports recurring payments (if applicable);

    • 3D Secure authentication is active and set up properly.

  2. Try a different card, preferably:

    • A credit card;

    • A card from a globally recognized bank.

  3. Use an international virtual card or PayPal (if available).

  4. For customers in the Philippines: You may also consider using services like GCash with Mastercard, PayMaya, or virtual prepaid cards that are enabled for international transactions.