Sometimes a card transaction won’t go through, or it will show as declined or reversed in your ImpactGraph account. This usually comes from our payment processor (Stripe) or the underlying bank, not from ImpactGraph itself.
Why a card transaction might fail
Card transactions can fail before they post (authorization declines) or be reversed or refunded after they’ve posted. In most cases, you’ll see an error or decline message in your card activity, along with a status like “Declined,” “Reversed,” or “Failed.”
There are a variety of reasons why you might see an error:
Processor decline (Stripe / bank decision)
Our payment processor (Stripe) or the issuing bank rejected the transaction. Common causes include:Suspected fraud or unusual activity
Incorrect card number, expiry date, or CVC
Exceeded card limits (daily/monthly, number of transactions, etc.)
Merchant category not allowed based on your card or program policy
International or cross-border transactions
One of the accounts involved was an international origin, which can trigger:Cross-border or foreign currency restrictions
Country-specific sanctions or compliance checks
Extra fraud checks that result in a decline
Insufficient funds or funding source issues
The available balance or funding source was not sufficient
The underlying account was temporarily restricted or under review
Technical/connection issues
The merchant’s terminal or network timed out
A temporary connectivity issue between the merchant and the card network
In many cases, the merchant’s system will simply show “Declined” without a detailed reason.
What you’ll see in ImpactGraph
Depending on what happened, you may see:
A declined transaction with a status like “Declined” or “Authorization failed”
A reversal where a pending transaction disappears
A refund where a completed transaction is offset by a credit
An error message if something went wrong while we tried to submit the transaction
These statuses come from Stripe and the card network. ImpactGraph displays the status we receive; we do not control the final approval or decline.
If you think the decline was a mistake
If the card and transaction seem legitimate:
Double-check the details
Card number, expiry, CVC
Billing address and ZIP/postal code
Amount and currency
Try again or use another method
Ask the merchant to retry the card once
If possible, try an online checkout instead of a physical terminal (or vice versa)
Use a different card or payment method if the payment is urgent
Contact us so we can review
Share the date, time, amount, merchant name, and any error message the merchant showed.
We can review the decline code from Stripe and let you know what happened and whether you should try again.
If you think the card is compromised
If you suspect the card has been used without permission, or you see a transaction you do not recognize:
Stop using the card immediately.
Contact your fiscal sponsor to cancel and replace the card.
They can help you lock/cancel the existing card and issue a replacement if appropriate.
Only after the card is secured, continue with the dispute process.
Once the card is blocked, we can guide you through disputing any unauthorized or incorrect transactions.
If you think a card has been compromised, cancel and replace it by contacting us before continuing with the dispute process.
When to contact us
Please contact us if:
You see repeated declines and don’t understand why
A transaction error persists even after you’ve checked card details
You see charges you don’t recognize
You suspect your card has been lost, stolen, or compromised
You need help initiating a dispute on a transaction
Email: support@impactgraph.ai
Include as much detail as possible (date, time, merchant, amount, and any screenshots of error messages). This helps us work with Stripe and the issuing bank to review the issue.