Troubleshooting: Payment Failures & Declines

Overview

Payment failures can be frustrating for both gym owners and members. This troubleshooting guide helps you understand common decline codes, diagnose terminal and online payment issues, and know when to escalate to Poynt support.

Common Decline Codes

When a payment fails, the payment processor returns a decline code. Here are the most common codes and what they mean:

05 — Do Not Honor

The member's bank declined the transaction without a specific reason. This is the most common decline code.

What to do: Ask the member to contact their bank to authorize transactions from your business. The bank may have flagged the charge as suspicious.

14 — Invalid Card Number

The card number on file is not valid. This usually means the card has been replaced with a new number.

What to do: Ask the member to update their payment method with their new card.

51 — Insufficient Funds

The member's account does not have enough balance to cover the charge.

What to do: Notify the member and let GymPoint's automatic retry schedule attempt the charge again in a few days. The member may need to add funds or use a different card.

54 — Expired Card

The card's expiration date has passed.

What to do: The member needs to update their payment method with a card that has a valid expiration date. Send them a link to the member portal payment update page.

61 — Exceeds Withdrawal Limit

The charge exceeds the daily or per-transaction limit set on the card.

What to do: The member should contact their bank to increase their transaction limit or use a different payment method.

65 — Activity Limit Exceeded

Too many transactions have been attempted on this card in a short period.

What to do: Wait and retry the payment the next day. If this persists, the member should contact their bank.

91 — Issuer Unavailable

The member's bank is temporarily unable to process the transaction (system outage).

What to do: This is a temporary issue. GymPoint's automatic retry will likely succeed on the next attempt.

Terminal Troubleshooting

If your Poynt terminal is not working as expected:

Terminal Not Processing Transactions

1. Check the network connection. Ensure the terminal is connected to Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Look for the network indicator on the terminal screen.
2. Restart the terminal. Hold the power button for 10 seconds, then turn it back on. Wait 2 minutes for it to fully boot.
3. Check terminal status in GymPoint. Go to Settings > Billing > Payment Processor and confirm the terminal shows as Online.
4. Run a test charge. Use the test charge feature in Settings to verify the terminal can communicate with Poynt.

Terminal Not Appearing in GymPoint

1. Confirm the terminal is powered on and connected to the internet.
2. Verify the terminal is activated under your Poynt merchant account at poynt.net.
3. Click Discover Terminals in Settings > Billing > Payment Processor.
4. If the terminal still does not appear, restart both the terminal and try discovery again.

Card Reader Not Working

1. Clean the chip reader slot with a cleaning card or compressed air.
2. For contactless (tap) failures, ensure the card or phone is held within 1 inch of the reader.
3. If the magnetic stripe reader fails, try the chip reader or contactless instead.
4. If all readers fail, restart the terminal.

Online Payment Troubleshooting

For payments made through the member portal or signup forms using Poynt Collect:

Payment Form Not Loading

1. Ask the member to try a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge).
2. Check if browser ad-blockers or privacy extensions are blocking the Poynt Collect iframe.
3. Ensure the member is not using a VPN that might interfere with the payment processor's domain.

Payment Declined Online

The same decline codes apply to online transactions. Review the decline code in the invoice detail view and follow the guidance in the Common Decline Codes section above.

Timeout Errors

If the payment form times out:

1. Check your internet connection.
2. Ask the member to retry. Timeouts are often caused by temporary network issues.
3. If timeouts persist, check the Poynt system status (see below).

Checking Poynt System Status

Before extensive troubleshooting, check if Poynt is experiencing a service outage:

1. Visit the Poynt status page or check their support channels.
2. If there is an active outage, wait for Poynt to resolve it. GymPoint will automatically process pending charges once service is restored.

Contacting Poynt Support

If you have exhausted the troubleshooting steps above and the issue persists:

1. Gather the following information:
   • Your Poynt Merchant ID (found in Settings > Billing > Payment Processor).
   • The terminal serial number (if applicable).
   • The specific error message or decline code.
   • The date and time of the failed transaction.
   • The invoice number from GymPoint.
2. Contact Poynt support through their help center or phone line.
3. Provide all gathered information to expedite the resolution.

When to Escalate to GymPoint Support

Contact GymPoint support if:

• The issue is with GymPoint's interface rather than the payment processor (e.g., the Charge button is not responding, invoices are not being generated).
• You believe there is a billing calculation error (incorrect proration, wrong amounts).
• You need help configuring retry schedules or collections settings.

Tips

• Keep a reference of common decline codes at the front desk so staff can quickly explain issues to members.
• Proactively email members whose cards are expiring in the next 30 days.
• Test your terminal weekly to catch connectivity issues before they affect real transactions.
• Document recurring payment issues in member notes for future reference.