Renfe keeps declining my payment
Posted by Ok-Mark-1239@reddit | Shoestring | View on Reddit | 21 comments
I've been trying to book a train from Cordoba to Granada for February 18th. I've tried to make this booking the past 3 weeks, and every time I keep getting the error on the payment processing page after I submit my credit card information:
Errors found:
The process cannot continue right now. We apologise for any inconvenience (G001-RS27)
Any suggestions?
spicy_dimsum@reddit
Tried several cards, methods etc nothing worked for a week. Today I was able to do it after downloading the app.
brownracingstripes@reddit
Last year I struggled just like everyone else to get Renfe to accept a payment but eventually got it to work. Unfortunately, this year I was struggling again and couldn't remember what I did to make it work. My wife reminded me to use the app. The app seems to work for at least some of us.
Ok-Mark-1239@reddit (OP)
Already traveled, but "what worked" one time doesn't necessarily work another from my experience. The app and website are extremely flakey and sometimes doing random changes will make it succeed
brownracingstripes@reddit
I believe that too. I suspected both last year and this year that adding special discount conditions was also causing a problem. For example, last year I had two seniors and a child. This year I had a discount for a group larger than four. In the end both times I had to not claim the discount and just pay for all regular adults.
For others who may try, I failed with Chrome on a MacBook, PayPal, two different Visa cards, a virtual credit card, and Google Pay. I succeeded on the iPhone app with one of the same Visa cards but had to do tap the card on my phone to verify using an applet (something new to me). I did not use any discounts. It was a Sunday, the sun was out, and my home smelled of taco meat. I tapped submit very gently with my right index finger.
At least by writing this here I’ll remember what I did and not try those things next year. Then again it could be like the sword in the stone at Disney. Either it goes up randomly a few pulls a day or there is someone in a booth watching. The same person may be controlling the Renfe site.
johnvasko@reddit
I had this problem on the Renfe website, but when I tried on their app, it went through without a problem. There are weird glitches on the site where it wants to put in extra digits for the area code, etc. Go with the app. Mine was IOS17
funbunny100@reddit
Renfe website is notorious for this. Research and use a 3rd party.
Peregrine415@reddit
I booked and paid for my RENFE ticket using trainline.com.
ClassSnuggle@reddit
I had exactly that problem with Renfe about a year ago. Tried multiple cards, cards from other people, used different systems, couldn't get it to work. In the end I just went to a ticket office 😭
Ok-Mark-1239@reddit (OP)
damn :(. did you ever try using a third party seller?
ClassSnuggle@reddit
That would have been an idea. But at the time I just got frustrated and since I was on the way to the railway station, I elected to just work it out there.
Ok-Mark-1239@reddit (OP)
i think that'd be my last resort option because i'm on a tight schedule where i should probably book these tickets ahead of time to make sure they don't sell out
was_wotsch@reddit
As far as I know, Renfe requires card to have some standards like 3DSecure, which some countries like the US have not implemented
Have you tried paying with Google Pay/Apple Pay?
Otherwise, maybe try a third party? omio.com is a good one
Ok-Mark-1239@reddit (OP)
I didn't mention this in the OP, but I used this card successfully to book on renfe for my first ticket. After that, I made a renfe account, and tried to book a ticket for another route, and it's failling for this second route.
_baegopah_XD@reddit
Try using a different browser.
Ok-Mark-1239@reddit (OP)
i'll try, but fwiw, i also had the same issue through the app, which seems to imply it's not a browser-dependent issue
_baegopah_XD@reddit
So I travel to South Korea often. I noticed a lot of foreigners have issues with the apps there and sometimes online at different sites. When I recommend they try a different browser it usually solves the problem.
Ok-Mark-1239@reddit (OP)
just tried with safari (previuosly used Google Chrome) and same issue :(
i actually made a successful booking previously on renfe before i registered an account, but after registering, it no longer works
_baegopah_XD@reddit
That sucks. But at least you tried everything you could. I find that websites outside of my home country are just not foreigner friendly, Including the apps. I know when trying to book a Korean train a lot of foreigners have issues with their names. So it just makes it very frustrating and mostly impossible. Some folks don’t have this issue, but most do.
Ok-Mark-1239@reddit (OP)
yeah I had this issue with brazilian sites as well. i'll figure out a way to book these train trips one way or another
lucapal1@reddit
Try with another card?
Ok-Mark-1239@reddit (OP)
same issue with other cards