The Bank of America is an American multinational investment bank that offers a digital debit card which is basically a temporary card to its customers while they are waiting for a new or replacement debit card. You can use the temporary Bank of America card to make ATM transactions and purchases in stores or online. Recently many customers have complained that their Bank of America temporary card was declined at the ATM. So, today I will discuss all the possible reasons a temporary Bank of America card can be declined at the ATM. Let’s check them out!
There are many reasons your temporary Bank of America card can be declined at the ATM. Usually, temporary cards have a validity of 30 days. So, if you have attempted to use the temporary card for longer than 30 days then your card will be declined. Moreover, if your account has an insufficient balance then your card will be declined at the ATM.
Reasons Why Bank Of America Temporary Card Declined At The ATM
1. Insufficient Funds
2. Multiple Incorrect PIN Entries
3. Expired Card
4. Reached Daily Withdrawal Limit
5. Suspicious Transaction
6. Technical Issues
7. Joint Holder Deactivated the Card
8. The Card is Not Activated
9. The Card Type is not Acceptable
10. Vendor Issues
11. Damaged Card
1. Insufficient Funds
This is one of the most common reasons your temporary card is declined at the ATM. If the card has an insufficient balance, then you won’t be able to withdraw money from an ATM. If you don’t keep consistent track of your spending then you might be run out of cash and you won’t be aware of that. If your account has an insufficient balance then you can still complete the transaction if you have overdraft protection. Overdraft protection allows the transactions or withdrawals to go through despite insufficient/low balance. If your account doesn’t have overdraft protection then you should keep track of your bank balances.
2. Multiple Incorrect PIN Entries
Usually, most temporary bank of America card has a 4-digit PIN. If you enter multiple incorrect PINs at the ATM then your card will be declined. If your account has a sufficient balance but your card is declined then an incorrect PIN might be the reason. The PIN prevents fraudulent activities and ensures the person using the debit card is the real owner of the checking account. When you enter the wrong PIN multiple times the bank will block the card. This is because when you enter the wrong PIN multiple times, it sends a fraud alert to the card issuer.
3. Expired Card
The Bank of America temporary card has an expiration date and usually, it is 30 days from the day the card was activated. If you use the card after 30 days then your card will automatically decline at the ATM. The Bank of America will send you the new or renewed card within 30 days. So, check your mail for the card. If you haven’t received the card within 30 days then contact the bank authority to know the status of your card. It’s not impossible that someone has stolen your card from the mail. So, if that is the case then contact the bank ASAP so the bank authority can take steps to make sure the other card can’t be used.
4. Reached Daily Withdrawal Limit
Every bank account has a daily withdrawal limit. The daily withdrawal limit protects the customer’s funds from fraudulent activities. If you have reached your daily withdrawal limit then your card will be declined at the ATM. Therefore, you should know the daily withdrawal limit of your bank account and withdraw money accordingly. If you have to make huge purchases or withdrawals then make sure you contact the bank authority before the withdrawal to extend the withdrawal limit.
5. Suspicious Transaction
All banks reserve the right to decline any transaction if they notice anything suspicious. So, if the bank finds anything suspicious about your transaction, then the bank authority can decline the transaction as well as the card. For example, if you want to withdraw a large amount of money which is way more than your normal withdrawals then the bank can consider the transaction suspicious and decline your card. To avoid this situation, you should contact the bank authority before making a large payment or withdrawing a large amount from the ATM.
6. Technical Issues
A technical issue is another common reason your temporary bank of America card can be declined at the ATM. The bank or the ATM system might be having issues processing the transactions even if everything is ok from your end. Technical issues might include –
a. Slow internet connection,
b. Power failure
c. Transactions overload, etc.
If you face these technical issues then you can –
a. Try again later,
b. Consider using a different terminal, or
c. Wait until the systems get back up and running
7. Joint Holder Deactivated The Card
If you have a joint bank account then it is also possible that the other account holder has deactivated the card therefore the temporary card was declined at the ATM. If the other account holder deactivates the card, then you will also lose the authority of using the card. Usually, most banks in the USA allow either partner to deactivate a card without the other party’s consent if they suspect fraudulent activities or for any other reason. This is a convenient feature because if you lost the card then you can ask the other account holder to go and deactivate the account. So, if your card is deactivated by one party then you won’t make any purchases or withdrawals. Therefore, if your card is declined at the ATM then ask the other account holder and see if he/she has deactivated the card or not to avoid any confusion.
8. The Card Is Not Activated
Before you can use the temporary card, you have to activate the card first. Usually, when you are presented with the temporary card, the card is activated by the bank authority. If your temporary card is not activated then contact the bank authority to activate your card.
9. The Card Type Is Not Acceptable
It is also possible that the ATM you have used to withdraw the money doesn’t support temporary cards. Therefore, check the ATM first and see if it supports Bank of America temporary card or not. So, if you use your card in any ATM that does not support the kind of card that you are using, then the card could get declined.
10. Vendor Issues
Sometimes your card can be declined at the ATM for vendor issues. If your temporary card is declined for no reason then the chances are high that you are facing this problem due to a vendor issue. It might happen that the ATM is not in good standing with its banking services. In this type of situation, you should immediately contact the bank authority to make everything clear.
11. Damaged Card
It is also possible that you have damaged your card and therefore, your card was declined at the ATM. So, check your temporary card especially the magnetic stripe, and see if there is any damage to the magnetic strip. Moreover, you should also check if your card is more bent than it should be. Furthermore, some damages are not visual so, if you think your temporary card is damaged then wait for the debit card to arrive or contact the bank.
FAQs About Why Was My Temporary Bank Of America Card Declined At The ATM
Can You Use A Temporary Debit Card At An ATM?
Yes, you can use the Bank of America temporary card at an ATM to withdraw money. Usually, temporary cards have 30 days validity so as long as your temporary card has validity, you can withdraw money from the ATM with your temporary card.
Does Bank Of America Issue Temporary Cards?
Yes, Bank of America issues temporary cards to its new account holders. If you have opened a new bank account or you have applied for a new debit card then you can get a temporary card from Bank of America and use it until you receive your new card. You can use the temporary card at any Bank of America’s ATMs, stores, and more.
Does Bank Of America Issue Temporary Credit Cards?
Bank of America issues a virtual credit card number that basically works like a temporary credit card.
How Does A Bank Of America Temporary Card Work?
You can use the Bank of America temporary card at any Bank of America ATM to withdraw money as well as make payments at various stores. The validity of the card is 30days and you can use the card as long as you don’t receive the permanent card. Usually, it might take 5-7 business days to receive the new card from Bank of America.
Where Can I Use A Bank Of America Temporary Debit Card?
You can use the bank of America temporary card at any merchant that accepts its payment network like Visa or Mastercard. Moreover, you can also use a temporary card to withdraw money from the Bank of America’s ATM.
References
1. https://www.bankofamerica.com/customer-service/contact-us/atms/
2. https://www.bankofamerica.com/online-banking/mobile-and-online-banking-features/lock-unlock-debit-card/
Last Updated on January 26, 2022 by
Magalie D. is a Diploma holder in Public Administration & Management from McGill University of Canada. She shares management tips here in MGTBlog when she has nothing to do and gets some free time after working in a multinational company at Toronto.
