Apple Pay keeps saying “Card Not Added” — anyone experienced this?

Here is what Apple says about this part of the provisioning process.

“If a terms and conditions ID is returned by the card issuer or payment network with the Check Card process, Apple downloads and displays the terms and conditions of the card issuer to the user. If the user accepts the issuer’s terms and conditions, Apple sends the ID of the terms that were accepted as well as the CVV to the Link and Provision process.

Additionally, as part of the Link and Provision process, Apple shares information from the device with the card issuer or network. This includes information about:”

• The user’s iTunes and App Store account activity (for example, whether the user has a long history of transactions within iTunes)
• The user’s device (for example, the phone number, name, and model of the user’s device plus any companion Apple device necessary to set up Apple Pay)
• The user’s approximate location at the time the user adds their card (if the user has Location Services enabled).”

“Using this information, the card issuer determines whether to approve adding the card to Apple Pay.”

“As the result of the Link and Provision process, two things occur:

• The device begins to download the Apple Walletpass file representing the credit or debit card.
• The device begins to bind the card to the Secure Element.”

“The pass file contains URLs to download card art, metadata about the card such as contact information, the related issuer’s app, and supported features. It also contains the pass state, which includes information such as whether the personalizing of the Secure Element has completed, whether the card is currently suspended by the card issuer, or whether additional verification is required before the card can make payments with Apple Pay.”

Adding credit or debit cards to Apple Pay - Apple Support

So, the process is you enter card details in the Apple Wallet app. Information is encrypted on device and it generally goes to the Payment Network Operator (Visa, Mastercard, American Express etc.) The security code (3 or 4 digit number commonly referred to as CVV) is not sent. If the account number is valid and expiration date current, you’re sent the Terms & Conditions to agree to.

T&C are returned with security code and additional information contained on your device. Now the banks approval process begins. An assessment is applied to the additional iPhone data. Banks to not reveal how their review process works. Many use a 4 path workflow, green, yellow, orange and red. Green is automatically approved, yellow and orange requires additional verification and red is declined. The reviews are designed to appraise the risk.

Velodcity blocks happen when a cardholder attempts to add a card too many times. Again, banks set their own levels, but 5 failed attempts seem to block any future attempts. How long is the block? Only the bank knows and generally they won’t tell the cardholder. However, the block may be as short as 24 hours or as long as 7 days.

When a card has failed, you really only have two paths forward. One is to work with the bank to get an exception made. The second is wait 30 to 45 days with no provisioning attempts during that time period.

Here are two links to posts you may have already read. The first, the OP worked with his bank and got them to make an exception mad. The second is a little more involved and the person even bought a new iPhone and it was still blocked. She waited the 30+ days and then added the cards.

Apple Wallet Disabled - how to resolve ? - Apple Community

Cannot add cards to Apple Wallet on iPhon… - Apple Community

Thank you. Here’s how card provisioning works. The cardholder enters card details.This opens a session with Apple Apple Pay system. The details submitted are sent to the Payment Network Operator (Visa, Mastercard, American Express etc.) who verify the accuracy (expiration date, card number etc) and if verified terms and conditions are sent to your iPhone. Accepted T&C are received and your iPhone then sends encrypted account details and information on your iPhone. The information is about iPhone usage patterns, and information about your Apple Account. Banks use the information to evaluate fraud risk. Banks use their own risk avoidance algorithms. It’s not uncommon for some cards to be added and a different bank to decline adding a card. Banks typically rate the risk, Green (automatic approval), Yellow (requires additional verification such as two factor authentication), Orange (additional verification including voice contact with support team to verify additional details), and Red (automatic decline). Most card provisioning is either yellow or orange just as an anti fraud precaution. When the provisioning session is not closed within the allocated time or the decline is sent, the notification is sent. There’s a reason the notification says contact the bank.

Apple is not aware of the process. All information they receive through their servers is anonymous and encrypted. They literally have no information to tell you. All they can check is hardware failure. Apple Support has no idea why provisioning failed.

If an account is red path the bank’s algorithm is suspicious and tier one support has no idea this has occurred. All they can do is look at basic details and tell you nothing wrong on their end contact Apple Support. -

One possible cause is velocity blocks. If you try to add a card more than 5 times in a rolling 24 hour period, an automatic block is applied. How long does the block last? Good question! Banks don’t reveal that and each bank applies their own time restriction. The average delay is 24 hours, but members report it can be up to 10 days. In my experience the average delay is around 3 days.

Any questions?

Apple Pay security and privacy overview - Apple Support

Card provisioning security overview - Apple Support

Apple Pay component security - Apple Support

Apple Pay Wallet Terms and Conditions

Adding credit or debit cards to Apple Pay - Apple Support

The block is from each individual bank. Your iPhone records and reports attempts to provision. Stop attempting to add cards for at least 72 hours from your last attempt. Then do only one card from one bank. If it fails after 72 hours contact that bank’s Apple Wallet team and investigate further. Any instructions from a bank supersede what guidelines I’ve provided.

OK, so cards were being added to a new device. Thank you for the additional information. Just for future reference never remove items from Apple Wallet unless advised by Apple Support or your bank’s support team.

The card that initially failed, have you contacted their support team? If so, what did they say?

Hi, when a card fails a velocity limit, the failure is noted in the information your iPhone will make available to other banks. How banks utilize the information only the bank knows. PNO’s also know about blocks and may share the information with other banks on their network.

This seems to be the only post online that even scratches the surface of the problem I'm running into with my new iPhone. I bought it secondhand, and everything appeared to be working however no matter how much I've tried it would not successfully add my debit card. Upon calling the bank's fraud prevention line they told me that it was odd that it even showed the Terms and Conditions when attempting to add the card manually, as they had not received a request on their end seemingly at all.

Is this simply a matter of, wait a few days and then try again? And why does my bank's fraud department not have access to these lanes you mentioned?

Hi, have you resolved this issue yet? I’m happy to assist if need help.

I’d like a little more information please. Do you currently have any cards/payment methods in your Wallet app? Were the cards previously in your Wallet? If so, why do they need to be added again?