Why your Onboard card might not work - and how to fix it

Your Onboard card is perfect for paying for the tools, subscriptions, and ads that power your hustle.

Currently it works with 40,000+ global merchants - from Meta and AliExpress to ChatGPT and Zoom.

But we like to keep it real. Some platforms have their own rules, and sometimes, things don’t go as planned.

This is your guide to navigating those edge cases.

Where and why you might hit a bump:

1. Region & currency limitations

Most payment issues stem from how certain platforms handle regional billing and currency detection. Here are common scenarios where you might encounter such issues, and why they happen:

• Apple’s App Store

Your App Store (where you buy apps, pay for iCloud, or subscribe to services using your Apple ID) requires your card to be issued by a bank in the same country as your Apple ID.

So, let’s say your ID is registered in Nigeria, and your card isn’t, your payment will likely not go through.

• Google platforms (e.g. Google Ads, YouTube Premium)

If Google detects your region as outside of the US, it defaults to local currency billing (e.g. Kenyan Shillings in Kenya), which is incompatible with your USD card.

• Stripe-powered platforms (e.g. Twitter/X, Spotify, Substack)

Platforms that use Stripe for payments, like X (Twitter) Premium & Ads, Spotify, and Substack, may decline your virtual card in certain cases.

This may happen when your account on said platform is locked to your region/country (which isn’t the US).

Stripe then tries to process your payment in your local currency, and Onboard’s USD-denominated card isn’t built for that.

Possible workarounds include using a VPN or a US zip code, however this isn’t always guarantee success.

2. Platform incompatibility

While our cards work on most platforms, here are some with specific limitations you should know about:

• Apple Pay & Google Pay: These contactless payment systems that let you add your card to your phone and pay online or in person, are currently unsupported. Our cards cannot be added to Apple Pay or Google Pay (yet).
• Steam, Coursera, Crunchyroll, Heroku, Claude AI, OpenAI, Telegram: These platforms either flag virtual cards or have changed their payment processors recently. You may experience intermittent issues when using your Onboard card on these platforms.
• Amazon: Sometimes this triggers card suspension due to security rules.

3. Restricted merchant categories: betting, dating & FX

Certain merchant categories are automatically blocked to protect users and reduce fraud. These include:

These restrictions only affect a small subset of online merchants. Your card will work perfectly for everyday spending, subscriptions, shopping, and the vast majority of online platforms you use regularly.

If your payment fails:

• First, check this guide to see if the platform falls under our known limitations and try any of the suggested workarounds
• Ensure your card balance is sufficient before retrying the transaction
• Try opening the merchant’s website on a different browser or device
• Still no luck? Reach out via in-app chat or email: support@onboard.xyz

💡 Pro tips

To get the most from your card, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Fund your card in advance: some platforms test your card with small “pre-auth” charges. Having funds already there will give you no issues.
• Track your spending: View all your card transactions directly on your dashboard to stay on top of your money. You can also generate your card statement for detailed records.
• Monitor your subscriptions: Keep track of recurring payments to avoid unexpected charges from platforms you may have forgotten about. Use our subscription reminder feature in the app to get notified before payments are due, so you can fund your card in advance and never miss a payment.

Need help, or got a question?

Visit our help center or talk to us in the app anytime.

Updated on: 22/07/2025