Paying through Google Play for apps and games is usually a walk in the park. This applies to purchases you make in these apps and games, so every transaction is administered by Google Play (and Google Pay). However, some users keep getting an error while making these purchases that says that the Google Play Balance is declined. If that’s the case with you, too, check the instructions we provided below.
Table of contents:
- Insufficient funds
- Ensure that the debit or credit card is supported
- Change the payment method
- Contact your bank or card issuer
Why was my Google Play transaction declined?
1. Insufficient funds
Before doing anything else, ensure that you have enough funds in your Google Play balance or on your debit/credit card. If you make some in-app purchases (e.g. game transactions), you’ll need to consider tax. The exact sum varies based on your region and country. Once you are certain that there’s enough money to make a purchase, give it another try.
If you are certain that you have enough funds and the Google Play balance keeps getting declined, continue to the next step.
2. Ensure that the debit or credit card is supported
Usually, all debit and credit cards that have an option for online payments are supported by Google Play (thus, Google Pay). But not all, so have that in mind. However, there’s also the question of the region.
You can use only debit and credit cards issued in the same region set in your Play Store. And this can’t be changed. So, that’s another possible reason why payments won’t go through on your phone. You can always try a different card or wait until Play Store automatically changes the region. This, of course, applies if you moved to a different country.
3. Change the payment method
Some users suggest changing the payment method in Play Store settings or Google Pay. Also, not all apps support PayPal and similar services for in-game purchases. So, changing the payment method might help here.
Here’s how to change the payment method for Google Play:
- Open Play Store.
- Tap on your Google Account icon in the top right corner.
- Select Payment & subscriptions from the contextual menu.
- Open Payment methods.
- Open More payment settings. You’ll see all available payment methods, including cards.
- Tap Remove card to remove the payment method.
- Then just restart your device and add the payment method again.
You can’t remove the card if you currently have subscriptions and that’s your only card. You’ll need to add an alternative payment method and then remove the current card.
4. Contact your bank or card issuer
Finally, if you still have trouble with the Google Play balance declined error, make sure to contact your bank or card issuer. Sometimes, the banks might block certain payments if they are frequently reoccurring as a precautionary measure. Although this is rare, it might help to get in touch with them.
If that doesn’t help, you should reach out to Google in Play Store > Account > Help & feedback. Or reach out to the app developer, if the in-app purchases keep failing for no apparent reason. Thank you for reading and feel free to share your thoughts with us. Were these instructions of any service? Tell us in the comments section below.
Editor’s note: This article was initially published in May 2022. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy.
