Using Santander Bank App, Manage cards: activate debit and credit cards, create or change your card PIN, report lost or stolen cards, and order replacements. Also, View deposit, credit card, lending statements and loan/line of credit and investment* account balances
However, not everyone can have a smooth experience with the Santander debit card. Many people have been encountering issues like their Santander debit card not working.
In this article, we will explain why Santander debit card not working and how to fix it.
Why Is Santander Debit Card Not Working?
The Santander debit card has either expired or damaged, or you have attempted several times to enter an incomplete/wrong pin are some reasons why your Santander debit card is not working
Below the reasons in details why your Santander debit card not working:
1. Your Santander Card Has Expired
Every card comes with an expiration date. If you have missed checking the expiration date, please make sure you remember the expiration date before using the card because if you enter the pin, number, and details, your Santander debit card will not directly be declined, but it won’t simply function.
2. Inadequate Funds In Your Account
Have you checked the balance in your account? If not, then Inadequate funds in your account may be the reason why your Santander debit card is not working.
If you are making a hefty purchase with inadequate funds in your bank account, then your transaction will fail.
In other words, your card will not work for that purchase. You can only make transactions(or payments) within the available amount limit in your bank account.
3. You Have Reached The Daily Limit
If your Santander debit card has a limit and you have touched the daily limit of making transactions, then for your next transaction, your card will not work as you have already crossed the “daily limit.” You can call your bank and then tell them to ”increase the limit”.
4. Several Incorrect Attempts
The other reason which can be the cause of why your Santander debit card is not working is mainly that you have entered several times the wrong pin or card numbers.
As a result, your card will be blocked. When you hold more than two cards, you can misplace the number or get confused.
That’s normal. Always carry the card with you or check the number and other details twice from your bank account app.
5. Bend Card/Chip Damaged
Another reason why your Santander debit card is not working may be due to the fact that your card is slightly bent or some damages are not visible, like carefully checking the chip if it’s spoiled or if the magnetic strip has been severely damaged.
A point to be noted here is that a high temperature can also affect your card.
6. Issuer Bank Suspected Illegal Activities
If the issuer bank has suspected malicious activities from your card number, the bank authorities will suspect there is someone who is trying to gain unauthorized access to your card or bank details.
As a security measure, your card will be blocked, and while you try to use it, it won’t work.
You may actually not know when your card gets blocked, so try to avoid giving your bank details in an unauthorized place and if you suspect a third person is triggering you to give your card details, please immediately report your problem to the bank.
7. Santander Server Problems
Every debit or credit card commonly faces a Santander debit card not working problem for server or connection problems.
The server is overloaded, or the system has slowed down for other technical reasons.
You can always try to use your Santander debit card after some time. If you are in urgent need, it is always better to either use the mobile card app or call the bank.
8. Merchant / Vendor Issues
Merchant or vendor issues imply that the shop may not support your Santander debit card or the card does not work in a particular geographical location.
There are chances that the shopkeeper has manually entered your card credentials, and he or she has made a blunder.
In such a case, always fill in the details(pin and number) by yourself.
9. International Transactions
Before you make any international payments/transactions, you have to inform your bank or you have to enable it.
If you haven’t done that yet and are trying to make an overseas payment, then your Santander debit card may not work, and eventually, the transaction will be declined.
You can give your issuer bank a call and tell them about your transaction details.
10. Unactivated Card
The unactivated card may be a rare reason for some of you, but for the ones who got a new Santander debit/master card after a replacement or a new user of a Santander debit card, your card may not have been activated yet.
An unactivated card is a reason why it is not working. There is nothing to be worried about.
You can either activate from your mobile phone card app or directly contact the bank and ask about the activation.
How To Fix “Santander Debit Card Not Working”?
Fix 1: Get A Replacement/New Card
Always make sure that you get a replacement beforehand when your card is about to expire.
Do not delay getting a replacement card as there are hundreds of people who couldn’t get a replacement easily after their card expired.
Some had to wait for months. If your card is damaged, you can contact the bank and ask them for a new card.
Fix 2: Cross-Check Everything
Be it a debit or credit card. It is a sensitive case. You have to be careful whenever you are using them, especially when you are entering the CVV number, card number/pin.
Double-check once you have entered. And do not miss out on checking your account balance before you run out of funds.
Fix 3: Inform The Santander Bank
Before you make any international purchase or you are using the card in an unsupported region, you have to notify the bank authorities.
Either visit the bank or give them a call and briefly tell them the issue.
And in cases where you suspect malicious activities with your own card, let the bank authorities know about it and notify them to keep your card “blocked.”
Fix 4: Avoid Using Listlessly
The fix to avoid using listlessly is meant for the cardholders to have a limit for their daily transactions.
If your Santander debit card has a limit, do not hand it away from the card to some other person who will use it listlessly, and even if you are handing them, let them know about its daily transaction limit or in the middle of the payment, Queue the card will not work, or it will be blocked.
You have to check your available funds and the left transaction (daily) limit.
The four fixes do not deal with on-spot solutions as there is none. Apparently, you must be familiar with the phrase “precaution is always better than cure.”
Contacting the bank while you are in an urgent situation will not solve your issue. You have to wait for hours or days sometimes.
Fix 5: Contact The Santander Bank
Even though you have got a replacement of the card after it was expired, got a new card after it was damaged, you have always cross-checked before entering the number or pin, and you have never crossed the limit, and you still encounter that your Santander debit card is not working, contact them directly.
If you are stuck in an emergency situation, you can directly go to the bank or send any of your known trusted people to the bank and tell them about your card problem.
Conclusion
Santander debit card is not not working mostly because of fraudulent or suspicious transactions on your card or don’t have enough fund.
Santander debit card not working is not a rare problem. Several people have faced issues with the card and making transactions.
