SASSA Card Declined - 3 Ways to Solve Declined Issue

If you live in South Africa and get money from the government each month through social grants but you facing SASSA card declined error. So, there are some chances that you are facing issues. With your Sassa Card. Do you need help with using your SASSA card? Does it get declined when you try to use it at ATMs or in shops or stores? If yes, then keep reading. I will discuss the reason behind the Sassa card decline and how you can solve this issue.

The reason your card is getting declined is because it can be blocked. Most of the time, users block their cards due to some mistake. However, there are also some chances when SASSA itself can block the card.

Moreover, If your card is blocked and you try to use it at any ATM or store. You will receive a notification of an invalid card or declined transaction. You will also receive a text message on the phone number you provided at the time of registration explaining. The reason behind the blockage of your SASSA Gold card.

In fact, If your SASSA card has been blocked, whether intentionally or by mistake. And, you need to unblock it, there is no need to worry. In this article, I’ll explain why your card has been declined and give you a step-by-step guide to fix the issue of blocking and reactivating your card again.

Why My SASSA Card Declined?

It’s important to know the reasons behind the blockage of your sassa card. I am giving some reasons that can be the cause of the Sassa card decline.

Incorrect PIN Code: If you forget your password and you continuously try to enter the wrong pin again and again many times then sassa will block your card to keep your account secure.
Delay in Collecting Grant Payments: Your card can be blocked when you did not collect your grant payment on time. This happens because the sassa system notices the delay and blocks the card.
Withdrawal Limits For SASSA Card: If you withdraw more money than your card’s daily limit, your card will get blocked. The withdrawal limit of the grant each day is usually between 1000 and 1800, but this can vary based on the type of grant you receive. Make sure to check the current limits on the SASSA official website to stay updated.
Insufficient Funds: Another reason for card decline is that there are not enough funds in your sassa account.
Technical Issue Your card can also be blocked due to the technical issues in the system of the sassa.
Suspicious Activity Your card may be blocked by SASSA if they see any unusual or dishonest activities with your card.
System Migration At Post Bank: If the Post Bank is updating or changing its system or migrating their system, your card can be blocked. During such updates, it is very common for glitches to happen. These glitches can sometimes cause your card to be declined when you try to use it.
Incomplete Transactions: Your card might be declined if your personal bank account that is separate from Post Bank is either closed or has transactions that have not been completed yet.
Inactive SASSA Grant Holders: If you are no longer an active recipient of a SASSA grant, you will not be able to reactivate your card.

Methods To Fix Blocked SASSA Card

Reactivating a declined SASSA card is very simple. You can either call the SASSA helpline or visit a SASSA office for the reactivation of your card. The steps to unblock your card will depend on the reason why it was blocked. And SASSA staff will help guide you through the process. Before you start, you have to make sure that your card is not physically damaged. And is in good working condition. Below, I will provide a step by step guide on how to reactivate your card.

Reactivate Your Card By Calling SASSA

One of the simplest ways to unblock your SASSA card is to call them at their helpline directly. Follow the below steps given below.

You can call the SASSA on their helpline number at 0800 60 10 11.

You will hear an automated response that will guide you to follow some steps.

Choose the right option to speak with a SASSA agent by pressing 1.

When talking with a sassa worker, tell them that you want to unblock your card which was declined at the ATM. When you were trying to withdraw your amount.

The sassa agent will ask you to provide your personal details such as phone number or ID card number so they can verify your identity.

Once they verify your identity, they will tell you the reason behind your sassa card blockage. They will reactivate your card if the card is blocked by their system.

Keep in mind that if they blocked your card due to any investigation. They will ask you to visit their office. Also, you should call them from the phone number you have used to apply for your SASSA grant. Because they might not help you if you use a different number.

Visit SASSA Office For Card Reactivation

You can reactivate your sassa card by visiting the local sassa office that is near to you. Before going to the sassa office, make sure to confirm the opening and closing time of the office so you do not face any kind of issue. Make sure to bring your identity document and a mobile phone with the phone number you registered with SASSA at the time of applying.

Follow the steps given below.

Go to the office that is near to you.

Tell the sassa worker that you want to reactivate your card that is blocked.

The sassa workers will ask for your ID card and other documents so they can confirm your identity.

After the verification procedure, they will explain to you the method of unblocking or reactivating your sassa card. If their system has blocked your card they will reactivate your card.

They will check all the information and details given by you very carefully before reactivating your card.

Expiration Of Card Blocking

If sassa card decline absa happens, because you have crossed the daily withdrawal limit, there is no need to worry. Next day, your card will be unblocked and you can use your card normally again.

Reset Card Pin

If you are sure that your card is blocked because you entered the wrong PIN too many times, you can go to your nearest SASSA office to reset your PIN. They will simply ask you for an ID card to confirm your identity. After confirming your identity, you can reset your PIN code.

Get Your PIN

Once you’ve reactivated your SASSA card, you can get a One Time PIN (OTP) to reset your PIN. Follow the below given steps

Message SASSA on their official WhatsApp at 082 046 8553.
Start by sending them a message of Hi and wait for a reply.
Once they respond, reply with the message of Help.
Then, respond with 4 to see different options and choose SASSA OTP.
They’ll ask for a reference number. Type the number you received from the SASSA office.
Follow the instructions they provide to get your OTP and reset your SASSA card PIN.

What I Can Do If My SASSA Card Is Not Able To Unblock?

If you’ve tried the methods I mentioned in my article and your SASSA card still can’t be unblocked, you may need to get a new card from sassa. You should go to a SASSA office to get a new card. The staff of Sassa will help you to know if getting a new card is possible. This decision is based on the reason why your current card is blocked.

How Can I Protect My SASSA Card From Blocking?

Now, you have understood how you can reactivate your card that is blocked by sassa. However, it is very important to follow some steps so your card does not get blocked in the future to avoid problems.

Make sure that your account balance does not exceed the balance limit set by sassa.
Please do not exceed the withdrawal limits. There are specific limits on the daily withdrawal. This limit depends on the grant you are receiving from sassa.
If you have lost your card, or your card gets stolen unfortunately, you must report to sassa immediately so your card does not get involved in any kind of suspicious or fraud activity.
Make sure that you withdraw your amount of the grant on time. If you delay in collecting your grant from your account, there are chances that your card will be blocked by sassa.
Try to remember your PIN. If you are worried that you will forget the PIN code, then write the code somewhere so you can easily find the code when you need it, like in the notes app of your mobile phone. Entering the wrong PIN again and again will block your card.
Do not share your card or PIN with anyone else to avoid issues in future.

Why My SASSA Card Declined At Paypoint?

There are a few reasons why your SASSA card is not working at a Paypoint. A common issue is that there can be deductions from your social grant, even though this is not allowed by the Social Assistance Act.

Another reason your SASSA card might be declined could be technical problems or attacks on the network by criminals. Sometimes, Postbank has had to block SASSA grant withdrawals at ATMs for those using the Postbank issued SASSA gold card. This was important due to avoiding criminals attacking ATM card fraud.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

A SASSA card might be declined for several reasons such as card damaging, exceeding the fund limits of the means test, technical glitches at PostBank, the card being blocked due to fraud activity, entering the wrong PIN, having an expired card, insufficient funds, issues with pending transactions or closed accounts in non-PostBank accounts, or if the grant is discontinued or cancelled by SASSA.

You cannot renew your SASSA card online as there is no online renewal service available currently. To renew your card, you need to visit a South African Post Office in person.

To unblock your SASSA card, you can either call the SASSA helpline at 0800 60 10 11 and follow their instructions, or you can visit a local SASSA office when it’s open. In both cases, you’ll need to verify your identity, and the SASSA staff will help you with the steps needed to unblock your card, depending on why it was blocked.

Conclusion

If your card is declined at ATMs or stores, it is important to understand the exact reasons and know how to solve them. Whether your card has been blocked due to incorrect PIN codes, delay in collecting grants, withdrawal limits, technical problems, suspicious activities, or system migrations at Post Bank, there are steps you can take to resolve these issues that I discussed in the article.

Reactivating a blocked SASSA card usually involves verifying your identity and by visiting a SASSA office or calling their helpline. Always make sure that your card is in good condition and that your contact details are up-to-date in the SASSA system. Keep within your withdrawal limits, secure your PIN, and report any loss immediately to avoid future issues.

What Causes A SASSA Card To Decline / All Possible Reasons?

Why My SASSA Card Declined?