Fix Apple Pay 'Could Not Add Card' or 'Payment Failed'

Updated: 11/29/2025

You are at the checkout register, holding your phone near the reader, and it vibrates with a red 'Payment Failed'. Or perhaps you are trying to set up a new debit card, and it instantly says 'Could Not Add Card. Try again later.'. This destroys the convenience of the Wallet app. The issue usually stems from a mismatch between your Apple ID region and your Bank's issuer region, or a frozen iCloud security token.

Table of Contents

Method 1: Check Region Settings

Apple Pay locks functionality based on your device's physical region setting. If you changed it to download an app from another country, Apple Pay breaks.

Step 1: Settings

Go to Settings > General > Language & Region.

Step 2: Verify Region

Ensure the Region matches the country where your Bank Card was issued. If your card is from the US but your phone is set to 'United Kingdom', the bank will block the verification handshake.

Method 2: Sign Out of iCloud (Token Reset)

Your cards are tied to your Apple ID security encryption. Sometimes you need to refresh the link.

  • Go to Settings > [Your Name].
  • Scroll down and tap Sign Out.
  • Restart your iPhone.
  • Sign back in.
Warning: This will remove all existing cards from your Wallet. You will have to add them all again manually, but it clears the 'Could Not Add' glitch.

Method 3: Contact the Bank (Tokenization Block)

If you get the message 'Contact Card Issuer', your bank has flagged your device.

Call the number on the back of your card. Ask for the 'Digital Wallet' department. Tell them: 'I am trying to add this card to Apple Pay and getting an error. Can you check if there are any pending tokenization requests blocked?'. Often, they just need to click one button to approve your device.