Fix a payment issue or declined payment

If your payment is declined on Whatnot, it’s usually due to an issue with your card or bank, like insufficient funds or a blocked transaction.

You can retry the payment or update your payment method to complete your purchase.

This article covers payments made directly through Whatnot. If you used Klarna or Affirm, visit Buy Now, Pay Later.

In this article: 

• Why payments decline

• Fix a declined payment

• Troubleshoot charges

Why payments decline

Payments may fail for a few common reasons:

• Insufficient funds
• Card expired or not activated
• Incorrect card details (number, expiration date, CVV, or billing address)
• Billing address doesn’t match your bank’s records
• Bank flagged the transaction for review

If everything looks correct and your payment still fails, contact your bank before retrying. They can confirm if the transaction is being blocked.

You can also try a different payment method.

Fix a declined payment 

During a live show

If your payment declines after you win an item, you’ll get a notification to:

• Add a new payment method, or
• Retry your payment

Before retrying, make sure any issues with your payment method are resolved.

Sellers typically give you until the end of the show to fix your payment. In some cases, they may choose to rerun the item before the show ends.

If the payment isn’t completed before the show ends:

• The order is automatically canceled
• You won’t be charged
• The seller won’t ship the item and may relist it

At checkout outside a show

If your payment fails:

• In the app: you’ll see a “payment declined” message
• On web: you’ll see that your order wasn’t placed

You can update your payment method or retry once the issue is resolved.

Troubleshoot charges 

Why was I charged $10?

A pending $10 charge is usually a temporary pre-authorization for Verified Buyer. It confirms you have a valid payment method and available funds.

This charge is just a hold, meaning it won’t fully process and typically disappears within a few days.

Why am I seeing a recurring charge?

Whatnot doesn’t offer subscriptions. If you see a recurring charge, it may be because:

• You used Buy Now, Pay Later (Klarna or Affirm)
• Your bank grouped multiple purchases or labeled them as a subscription

If you’re unsure, wait for the charges to fully process. If they don’t match your purchases, contact Support with a screenshot.

Why am I seeing duplicate charges?

Duplicate charges can appear when payments fail. Any failed charges are usually temporary and should drop off within a few business days.

If they don’t, contact Support with a screenshot and we’ll investigate.

I see a charge, but no order was created.

Check Activity > Purchases in the app. If the order isn’t listed, the transaction wasn’t successful.

Any charge you see is likely a temporary hold from a failed payment and should disappear within a few business days.