This guide is meant to help you (the seller) with common transaction issues we see for web-based purchases by your customers (the buyers) on the Vimeo OTT platform.
⚠️ Note: For app payment issues (iOS, Android, Roku, etc.), refer your customers to the relevant app store support, as these cannot be managed through your tools or our support team.
In this article
- Payment authorizations and rejections
- Bank issues
- Fraud prevention
- My customer is still experiencing issues after calling their bank, what can I do?
- My customer is having trouble adding promos, what can I do?
Payment authorizations and rejections
Payments can result in failure for a variety of reasons and we understand that they can result in a loss of revenue. Aside from user error or bank declines, payment rejections may occur when the payment is flagged as potentially fraudulent.
When your customer initiates a transaction, Stripe (our payment processor) sends a request to the issuing bank for a $1 authorization to verify that the card is valid and the bank will allow a charge. Once the hold is authorized by the bank, the uncaptured $1 hold will drop within 3-5 business days.
The bank may decline the authorization step, without providing a specific reason, so it can be difficult to pinpoint the reason for the decline.
First, review the supported payment methods on the OTT platform outlined in this guide. Ensure that the user is attempting to purchase with an authorized card brand before moving forward with the purchase.
If they are using a supported card, the customer should double-check that the information is entered correctly, including the card number, CVC, and zip code.
After confirming the details are correct, it is possible they are running into a bank issue (detailed below).
Bank issues
As the payment provider, we’re not always able to see the decline reason since there are many factors such as insufficient funds/credit, security holds, etc. For these reasons, we refer the cardholder to their financial institution to provide more information.
Some banks may also have restrictions and may not allow purchases from certain countries or currencies. The customer should check with their bank about the bank’s transaction processing rules.
For credit/debit cards approaching their expiration date, our system will email the account holder to update the card prior to renewal. Updating the card after the subscription expires will not automatically charge the card; the user will need to re-purchase.
Fraud prevention
We utilize Stripe’s machine-learning technology to optimize acceptance rates for transactions. A small number of these assessments may result in false flagging, which ultimately ends with the user being blocked from paying via the payment system.
While this accounts for a small number of users on OTT, our buyer support team can assist with the user if they submit a ticket request from your site’s branded help center.
You can review additional support options in this guide.
My customer is still experiencing issues after calling their bank, what can I do?
We understand that these declines can be frustrating and difficult to cope with. Of course, we’re happy to work directly with the customer to resolve these issues!
Please contact our support team for additional help.
My customer is having trouble adding promos, what can I do?
If your customer is having trouble adding promos for themselves, you can help them by applying a promo to your customer's account.