Unable to process the payment

Ulvich · June 2014

Earlier today I received an email saying “We were unable to process the payment for your subscription to The Elder Scrolls Online. Without an active subscription, you won't be able to continue your adventure!”
Needless to say this threw me for a loop. I have been using the same credit card since I first opened this account when the game launched. And I’ve never had a problem with it.
I logged in to my (eso) account and sure enough, I needed to set up a new plan. I tried twice, and both times it stated my payment could not be processed. So after that I checked with my bank, and found my credit card is fine. There is nothing wrong with it. And to make sure I ran down to the corner store and made a cash withdrawal. I’m not sure what is going on with ZOS this morning, but my card works fine for everything but ESO, and for whatever reason I am locked out of the game because my payment can’t be processed.

Arkath · June 2014

Likewise. I use PayPal. I authorize the charge (for $1), get an email from PayPal notifying me that I've made the authorization ($1), then an email from ZOS saying thanks for renewing, your subscription has been established, here's a receipt for your transaction ($0), and then another email from ZOS stating the payment was unable to be processed.

Spoken to my bank this morning, no problems, nothing looks off. No declined charges. Clearly there's an issue between ZOS and PayPal.

Ulvich · June 2014

I just now got off the phone with my card provider. There are no restrictions on my card of any type, and funds are available to make this payment. They also told me that there were three attempts (which I confirmed) to make this payment.
My card provider suggested that the issue lays with ZOS. So with that I suggest that ZOS get moving on this before I change my mind about this whole deal.

ZOS_TristanK · June 2014

Hi, folks. If you haven't done so already, please check to make sure that your billing address at account.elderscrollsonline.com and on your payment method match exactly even down to the punctuation (for instance, if you use Street and Robert on your bank account, be sure not to use ST. and Bob on your ESO account). Sometimes editing the billing information on your ESO account will resolve the issue.

If your billing addresses are identical and you are still having payment troubles, please let us know!

Ulvich · June 2014

ZOS_TristanK wrote: »

Hi, folks. If you haven't done so already, please check to make sure that your billing address at account.elderscrollsonline.com and on your payment method match exactly even down to the punctuation (for instance, if you use Street and Robert on your bank account, be sure not to use ST. and Bob on your ESO account). Sometimes editing the billing information on your ESO account will resolve the issue.

If your billing addresses are identical and you are still having payment troubles, please let us know!

I'm letting you know. I haven't made any changes to my account since I opened it. I will go back and check it again for the the third time today.

Edit: I just went back into my ESO account and checked everything. It was all the same as it was last month. Nothing changed.

DeadByNow · June 2014

ESO had 6 holds on my credit card. I had to use paypal to get it to work.

DeadByNow · June 2014

Ulvich wrote: »

ZOS_TristanK wrote: »

Hi, folks. If you haven't done so already, please check to make sure that your billing address at account.elderscrollsonline.com and on your payment method match exactly even down to the punctuation (for instance, if you use Street and Robert on your bank account, be sure not to use ST. and Bob on your ESO account). Sometimes editing the billing information on your ESO account will resolve the issue.

If your billing addresses are identical and you are still having payment troubles, please let us know!

I'm letting you know. I haven't made any changes to my account since I opened it. I will go back and check it again for the the third time today.

Edit: I just went back into my ESO account and checked everything. It was all the same as it was last month. Nothing changed.

They did this to me. They will put a hold on your account for every failed attempt.

Ulvich · June 2014

This started as just a simple recurring renewal this morning. Except in this case I got an email saying my payment was declined because I didn't have a payment plan set up. Which by the way I did. I set it up last month and it went through without issues. I have also been logging into the game almost every day since. I even logged in earlier this morning for a short time.

Ulvich · June 2014

I just want to add an update to this thread: After I did all the appropriate research (and waiting on a third reply via e-mail from ZOS) I decided to contact the billing dept. through their site and request a call back. The wait was less then 5 minutes. I was informed that this is a known issue and they are trying to fix it now. In the meantime they will be sending me a 3 day game code to use until I can make my payment.
This is the type of support I want to see. Thank you ZOS.

Goibot · June 2014

Happened to me as well on 2 accounts. Same credit card I used to buy 3 copies of the game, same credit card they put a full amount hold on, same credit card I used to subscribe with last month on 2 accounts.

Called customer support; they are going to allow me access on both accounts for 24 hours while they scratch their head.

Ulvich · June 2014

Goibot wrote: »

Happened to me as well on 2 accounts. Same credit card I used to buy 3 copies of the game, same credit card they put a full amount hold on, same credit card I used to subscribe with last month on 2 accounts.

Called customer support; they are going to allow me access on both accounts for 24 hours while they scratch their head.

LOL! While they scratch their head!
I'm thinking that during all these layoffs they were doing that perhaps they laid off someone they shouldn't have by mistake.

VertLV · June 2014

Exact same thing happened to me today as described by the other posters. My payment info did not change from last month to this month so there is no way there is a mismatch on the information. I already put in a ticket but will likely call as the others have.

Thanks for all the fun ZOS!!

seaef · June 2014

There's something wrong with their system. I've had no problems in previous months and I've changed nothing.

I just checked my bank account. I have no holds for the monthly payment and my checking account balance is $5,773.19

Now, unless they raised the monthly fee to $5,774.00... :-/

Please fix because I got booted out of the game. Grrr.

Elyniana Mhuani · June 2014

Well "glad" to see i am not the only one having this issue. Been happily playing an paying the game from the start with the same PayPal (ofc i did not change anything to my account/paypal info since there is no need to do so) and today the payment was declined.

I already sent them a ticket about it but after reading this thread the best way to handle this is to probably just call them i guess $:\$ .

Although i must say...i would love to recieve a 3-day timecard to temporarily help me getting back into the game untill these payment issues are solved.

Goibot · June 2014

I really feel sorry for the CS guy that called me back. I'm afraid I really had to laugh really hard at him and his company. I mean really, I am dealing with an American company using a standard visa card from an American bank. Nothing strange or wrong with the card at all. Plenty of funds in the account too. They have already charged 3 games to it, and a monthly reoccurring subscription to two accounts and now they can't....

What does it tell you when they can't even take your money? I offered to give him the card info over the phone and they couldn't do it. This company has problems.

I bet I have to call them again tomorrow too. Beats all I have ever seen...

seaef · June 2014

It must be between Zen and Paypal. I set up my sub with my AMEX card instead of PayPal and it went through just fine.

Lord_Hev · June 2014

ZOS_TristanK wrote: »

Hi, folks. If you haven't done so already, please check to make sure that your billing address at account.elderscrollsonline.com and on your payment method match exactly even down to the punctuation (for instance, if you use Street and Robert on your bank account, be sure not to use ST. and Bob on your ESO account). Sometimes editing the billing information on your ESO account will resolve the issue.

If your billing addresses are identical and you are still having payment troubles, please let us know!

Thank you. I was having this exact problem. Re-editing my name to match with my credit card precisely has resolved the issue.

Hopefully this works for others too.

VertLV · June 2014

My payment method is visa and is also having the problems. I heard back from CS via email. Email is a very slow way to deal with this though as they have to confirm all your info etc before they can access your account.

I requested a 24-72 hour pass until they can resolve the problem. I'll let you know what happens.

Definitely call vs. email.

VertLV · June 2014

I'm still waiting to hear back from CS but have been playing around with the payment methods and noticed something.

If I choose Visa/MC/AE/Paypal it calculates the total to be charged to my account as $0.00. If I choose Paysafe as the payment method it properly calculates the amount to be charged to my account as $14.99.

This is odd though since others have been able to make payments with AE. IDK

Boredmuseb14_ESO · June 2014

Yeah. Same issues here. Got a callback from CS. Real nice guy, but he had no idea what I was talking about.

How do they have an issue like this and their CS reps have not been made aware and given a standard fix/order to give out time code till its sorted.?

I am currently waiting on my 24 hour code so I can play while my issue is escalated. Going on 15 min now. He said email would be here in 5 with code

Any chance for a reply here about the issue? Besides one trying to push it onto us saying to check our info?

If I have to call for a code again tomorrow I will just be done, as this is by far from the first issue Ive had. More ,like the last straw. I am willing to bet I am not alone. Just dont think its worth my time to call so I can play this anymore.

VertLV · June 2014

It's been over 2 hours since I responded to CS via email. Still no response.

Definitely call. Email CS is a slow slow process.

TheScorpion · June 2014

None of this looks very promising! I haven't been able to play since beginning of last week because of this payment issue they are having.

IMO they should put everyone who paid for the game back in the game now and figure out how to fix it on their time instead of our time... after all, we did fork out the money for the game and now can't play!

thatangryviking · June 2014

Same thing happened with the girlfriend's account, I re-added the paypal account and everything went through smoothly, oddly enough it did not affect my account.

Ulvich · June 2014

I would really like to see a posting from ZOS in regards to what is going on, and when it will be fixed. After all, don't we have a right to know?

TheScorpion · June 2014

My issues is a little different, my paypal has a prepaid VISA card attached and apparently prepaids don't allow for reoccurring charges on them (I didin't know that, never popped up before).

They should not have allowed me to buy the game and sign up for reoccurring subscription all at the same time making me spend the initial $80 on the game using the prepaid, I should have been stopped there and informed it wouldn't work down the road. Not very impressed and relieved to know more people out there are having the same or similar issue as I am....maybe it will get fixed sooner than later. They should lift the subscription for anyone who has already played their free month until they sort it out on their end. After all it is their system having issues

ewglennyub17_ESO2 · June 2014

This is an issue with Zenimax billing system. We all have the same information we had the month before. Just showing how not ready to go live this game was. You were able to take my payment on 5/11/2014 but this month you can't? If you look from Paypal it is Zenimax cancelling the $1 transaction not Paypal declining it.

TheScorpion · June 2014

Yes, your $1 goes back to you, I tried 6 times last friday and it was all back when I checked today

VertLV · June 2014

After waiting ~3 hrs for a response from CS via email, I've decided to request a call back. Current wait time is ~1 hr.

TheScorpion · June 2014

I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for that call. I talked directly with them on the phone last week and after doing all the corrective spelling suggestions on all sides of billing, I requested a call back and I am still waiting....that was last Friday. The last response I received was via email having them suggest I go buy their prepaid game time card to buy game time. Well, IMO, that's not what I signed up with or for.

VertLV · June 2014

TheScorpion wrote: »

I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for that call. I talked directly with them on the phone last week and after doing all the corrective spelling suggestions on all sides of billing, I requested a call back and I am still waiting....that was last Friday. The last response I received was via email having them suggest I go buy their prepaid game time card to buy game time. Well, IMO, that's not what I signed up with or for.

If this is indeed their solution for the issue I would rather just move on then have to buy a prepaid game card each month.

I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt until I hear back. Hoping it is sooner then the response you received Scorp.

TheScorpion · June 2014

Well, I'm pretty laid back and have held on thus far but frustration with them had me vent here a little. I believe they are working on it so like you said, hopefully sooner than later.... A little reputation building on their part would go a long way and that could be accomplished by keeping their paying and wanting to pay customers way more in the loop and not offering an alternative to what they already accepted from us... just saying.