My card has been declined.
'Rifiutata' — ri-fyu-TA-ta. Four syllables; stress on the third. The 'iu' is a diphthong.
Say this at a restaurant or shop after a payment is rejected. Common causes: daily spending limit exceeded, the bank blocked the transaction as suspicious (foreign transaction), or insufficient funds.
'È stata rifiutata' is the passive passato prossimo: 'è stata' + 'rifiutata' (past participle of 'rifiutare', to refuse/decline). The feminine agreement: 'rifiutata' agrees with 'carta' (feminine). An active alternative: 'hanno rifiutato la mia carta' (they rejected my card).
Ha un Pos alternativo?
Do you have an alternative card reader?
Sometimes a different POS machine works.
Accettate contanti?
Do you accept cash?
Alternative payment method.
Devo chiamare la mia banca.
I need to call my bank.
The bank may have flagged your card for foreign activity.
Foreign bank cards are sometimes blocked in Italy when the bank's fraud detection system flags an unfamiliar transaction location. Before travelling, notify your bank of your travel dates and destination. Most banks have a travel notification feature in their app. Visa and Mastercard are universally accepted; Amex less so in smaller venues.