German · Real conversations
How to say “The card was declined.” in German
Explain that a card payment did not go through.
Die Karte wurde abgelehnt.
The card was declined.
This describes the payment result without stating a reason.
Use it in three situations
At a payment terminal
Die Karte wurde abgelehnt.
The card was declined.
Checking an online payment
Meine Karte wurde wieder abgelehnt.
My card was declined again.
Trying a second payment method
Die Zahlung hat nicht geklappt. Kann ich es noch einmal versuchen?
The payment didn't go through. Can I try again?
What to watch for
A declined card does not necessarily mean the card is permanently blocked.
Read the whole expression before replacing a detail. The natural wording may use a different order or construction from the English sentence.
Your turn
Imagine payments. Say this in German: My card was declined again.
Reveal a sample reply
Meine Karte wurde wieder abgelehnt.
My card was declined again.
Build a useful exchange
Clarify a payment, a receipt, or a refund.
This expression in other languages
A note on speaking German
Use Sie for formal address and du with people you address informally. Könnten Sie …? is a useful polite request. Keep noun capitals and the verb position shown in each complete sentence.
The examples preserve German accents and ß. Read a full sentence before replacing a detail: a subordinate clause can move the verb to the end, and case can change an article or pronoun.
