Most reports of "I can't save a card" come down to one of five things. Work through them in order.
The site does not take payment through Stripe
Saved payment methods are a Stripe feature. On a site using Authorize.net, Braintree, CyberSource, iATS, PayPal or TouchNet, cards can't be saved anywhere: not in the User Manager, and not on a user's own account page.
Instead of a list of cards, the User Manager's Saved Payment Methods section shows This Soapbox Engage account is not currently connected to Stripe, which is required to use the Saved Payment Methods feature. A user's own account page shows The Stripe payment gateway is required to use Saved Payment Methods. If a colleague can save cards and you cannot, check which processor each site uses before anything else.
The user account has not been saved yet
The Saved Payment Methods section appears only when editing a user who already exists. While creating a new user there is nothing to attach a card to. Save the account, reopen it, and the section is there.
The person is not signed in
On the front end, a visitor who is not signed in is asked to sign in rather than shown the page. A user who was signed in but has been away for a while may have been signed out — signing in again is all that is needed.
No terminal reader is online
If you chose Use Terminal Reader and see No terminal reader is online for this account. Switch a reader on, check it is connected, then try again., no Stripe Terminal reader on your Stripe account is switched on and connected. Switch a reader on and click Try Terminal Reader Again, or choose Enter Card Manually Instead.
A reader waits 90 seconds for a tap. If none comes, nothing is saved and you can try again.
The card was declined when it was saved
Saving a card is not a charge, but the processor does verify it, and that check can fail — an expired card, a mistyped number, a billing address that does not match, or a card the bank will not authorize for future use. The error comes from the processor and names the reason.
Ask for a different card. A card that fails this check will not work when you charge it later either, so it is better to find out at the desk.
If you are working in an auction
The bidder detail panel inside an auction has its own prerequisites, including that the bidder must be linked to a Soapbox user account and have a phone number. If the Add button under Payment Methods is greyed out, see Why can't a bidder save a payment method?
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