My Discover card got declined at a gas station in Akron last week and it scared me straight

I was filling up at a Speedway in Akron last Thursday and my Discover card got declined for a $45 charge even though I knew I had a $3,000 limit. Turns out my utilization hit 89% because I forgot about a big medical bill I put on it, and the issuer flagged me as a risk. Anyone else ever had a card unexpectedly decline even though you were under your limit and it made you change how you track your balances?

3 comments

3 Comments

emma_flores13d ago

4 out of 5 of my cards hit random limits last year, it's like the banks all got jumpy at once.

wesley_jones12d ago

89% utilization is a 100% you problem, not a bank problem. @the_alice they definitely still do risk-based freezes, a buddy of mine got his Amex locked for buying tires one time even though he was way under limit.

the_alice13d ago

Didn't Discover drop their risk-based shutdowns a few years back, or was that just rumors?