Understanding Transaction Cancellations and Declines: What You Need to Know
When a transaction doesn't complete successfully, it falls into one of two main categories: cancellations or declines. Understanding the difference can help you identify and resolve issues more quickly.
General
Understanding Transaction Cancellations and Declines
Learn the difference between cancelled and declined transactions, what causes each, and how to use error messages to diagnose and resolve payment issues faster.
Cancellations vs. Declines
When a transaction does not complete successfully, it falls into one of two categories. The source of the issue is different in each case, which determines where to start your investigation.
Cancellations are often linked to device configuration problems, connectivity issues, or server communication errors. Banking providers may also be a contributing factor in some cases.
Declines are commonly related to the billing provider. Card restrictions, insufficient funds, fraud flags, and unsupported payment methods are the most frequent causes.
Cancellations
Cancelled transactions indicate a failure before or during the authorization process. Common contributing factors include device configuration, connectivity, and server communication issues.
Common Causes
- Incorrect time settings on the device
- Missing kernel components
- Outdated firmware, or firmware incompatible with billing providers
- Session timeout settings that are too short
- Poor internet connectivity
- Static IP configurations blocking transactions
- Unsafe or unstable ethernet connections
- Incomplete data transmission to servers
- Server synchronization issues
- Database processing problems
Specific Cancellation Error Messages
Use the error message from your Nayax Core reporting to identify the cause.
| Error Message | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Cashless cancelled timeout | Transaction authorization took too long - typically caused by poor internet signal or timeout settings that are too restrictive. |
| Cancelled by consumer | The customer actively cancelled the transaction at the device. |
| Canceled by machine | A machine error or configuration issue with the product selection method. |
| Canceled - not enough credit | The customer has insufficient funds, or the default credit setting on the device is configured too low. |
| Cancel - MDB no idle | The device is not configured for "always idle" mode, or the vending machine is incompatible with this setting. |
| Cancelled - product couldn't be dispensed | Typically a machine-side issue. On Marshall machines, this may indicate incomplete integration or insufficient credit logged in the machine. |
| Cashless cancelled other | Multiple possible causes, usually related to data processing or server synchronization issues. |
| Cancelled - server automatic void | A transaction was attempted three consecutive times over a month without settlement, resulting in automatic cancellation by the server. |
Declines
Declined transactions are primarily driven by the customer's bank or payment provider. Majority of declines originate outside of Nayax systems.
Common Causes
- Missing or expired payment IDs
- Unsupported payment methods
- Card type not configured on the device (magnetic stripe, contact, or contactless)
- Card flagged as a risk by the banking provider
- Transaction not authorized by the banking provider
- Customer has reached their daily transaction limit
- Insufficient funds in the customer account
- Card reported as fraudulent
Specific Decline Error Messages
Use the error message from your Nayax Core reporting to identify the cause.
| Error Message | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Declined during authorization | Transaction not authorized — caused by missing payment IDs, delayed card information, or the device not recognizing the card type. |
| Decline insufficient funds | The customer does not have enough money in their account to cover the transaction. |
| Declined risk error | The card has been flagged as a potential fraud risk by the customer's bank. |
| Canceled - not enough credit | The customer has insufficient funds, or the default credit setting is configured incorrectly on the device. |
| Cancel - mobile payment provider void | The mobile banking provider has declined the authorization request. |
Use the error message tables above to identify the cause. If the issue persists after checking the relevant configuration, contact Nayax Support with the specific error message, device serial number, and transaction time for targeted assistance.
Troubleshooting
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