So, your Cleo Card got declined. Ugh. Not the vibe, but don’t stress. There are a few reasons this can happen, and most of them are quick fixes.
Your Cleo Card doesn’t have enough money on it
If your security deposit doesn’t cover what you’re buying, the payment won’t go through. But don't sweat – you can increase your available credit limit any time.
Your card isn’t active
You can activate your Cleo Card in the Spend tab.
If you've already added your card to your virtual wallet, you'll need to update it after activating your physical card. That's because the details on your virtual card and physical card are slightly different.
Your card is closed
Once you close your Cleo Card, it’ll stop working soon after.
Any money on it will be sent back to your linked bank within 45 days
You can open a new card in the app (unless you’ve already done this before)
If you think something’s wrong with your card, contact customer support
Your card is expired
If your card has expired, try using your replacement card instead.
Your card is frozen
To unfreeze your card, you need to go to Spend and tap Unfreeze card.
Incorrect PIN
You can reset your Cleo Card PIN in the app if you’ve forgotten it.
You’ve used the wrong card details
Double check your Cleo Card details in the app:
Go to Spend
Tap Card details
Enter your passcode
You'll see your card number, expiry date, and CVV.
You tried to use your card at a vending machine
If you were after a little snacky snack at a vending machine, you're out of luck. Unfortunately your Cleo Card won’t work at these machines for now.
Because of a merchant hold
Some merchants temporarily hold a larger payment in case of added charges (like hotels holding for a minibar). This can lower your available credit. To avoid surprises, turn on real-time spending notifications.
Typical holds include::
Hotel or motel: 20% hold of the transaction value for 30 days
Gas station: $45 hold for 3 days for transactions at the pump
Airline: 20% hold of the transaction value for 30 days
Auto rental: 20% hold of the transaction value for 30 days
If it’s one of the above, add more funds to your Cleo Card to cover the hold.