Payment Method Registration Errors [Error Code 401 and 601]

[Angu]

So i had no problems doing online payments with my card in the past and now SE implies this 401/601 problem is my banks/card fault and nothing they can do about it... nope nope nope nope nope nope.

Im not gonna even buy anykind of gamecard untill i get somekind of guarantee it actually WORKS because currently i have 0 faith for SE mog bull*hit system. Also would be nice to actually get answer from support to my tickets instead of being informed via forums from other ppl having same issues.

[Pikaflu]

My experience so far over the past 3 days:

Attempts to set up subscription account, card is declined with error.
Maybe I made a mistake typing in the card, and attempts it a second time.
Think, hmm that's odd my card isn't working, makes call to bank, they say everything is fine on their end and no attempts at making a transaction has been made.
Hmmm, the problem isn't my bank, maybe I am doing it wrong when typing it in, let's try one more time, still no go.
OKok let's try paypal then, payment is processed but then transaction is cancelled... um ok...
This obviously isn't working, better contact SE customer support for help. Waits 5 hours for Live Chat to open. Sits in queue for 2 more hours, gets to position 5 then given the no available agents message.
Ugh really... fine I will email them then. Writes email explaining situation.
*gives up for the night and goes to bed*
Checks forums to see if anyone else getting this problem, joins in on 40 page thread.
Attempts multiple times to buy crystra using CC via someone's suggestion in the thread. Still a no go.
Buys prepaid game card to use on account to buy crysta. Pre-paid card is declined.

*a day later get a response from SE support as follows*

Dear Customer,

Regarding your request for billing support. Please find your answer below.
We do not have information on why your transaction may not have been approved. If you are getting any sort of decline message, please wait 30 minutes, verify all of your billing information, and try again. If you would like further information about this specific transaction decline, please contact your bank or financial institution.
601, 401, and 105 means the financial institution may be declining the transaction attempt due to security reasons. While we are unable to see exactly why the transaction was declined, we can provide you with some guidance:
If the credit / debit card in question is 3D Secure, please make sure that you are inputting the correct 3D Secure PIN / password associated with it. Also, please be sure that 3D Secure is actually activated on the account.
Make sure that the card you're trying to use isn't already being used to pay for another account. Problems may arise if the an attempt is made to use the same card to bill two separate accounts simultaneously. If this is indeed your situation, please wait 24 hours between reactivation attempts.
Make sure that your card provider allows $1.00 preauthorization holds. This billing attempt is made in order to make sure that the account is valid for billing. After 1 to 2 business days, these funds will be placed back on the account. If your card issuer does not allow such preauthorization holds, you may want to contact them.
Please be aware that if the current credit / debit card you're using has resulted in either of the codes listed above, that card will be blocked from any further billing attempts for 24 hours. At this time, please try using another payment source as continued attempts using the blocked card will reset that 24 hour timer.
If you attempted this method of payment multiple times with a failed result, there is a possibility of a longer block being placed on the account. This block can last 30 days. If you have done this, you will need to use a different billing method.
Thank you for contacting the SQUARE ENIX Support Center.

Ok so it's not my bank so I wait another 24 hours since the last time attempting to use my card. Still error 601. One last option is to contact UltimatePay customer service to manually add the crysta to my account. If that doesn't work I guess SE is all out of F's to give. I've never had such a bad experience trying to pay for a game before.

[Matsume]

So how exactly is this MY financial institution's issue?



Eventually with 401 and 601s in my face ocnstantly from trying my credit card, debit card, paypal ect.. I went the game card\crysta route.

Anways, thanks to UltimatePay for taking 5 minutes to resolve an SE (or at the very least SE merchant vendor) issue instead of trying to blame something on my end.

Can you please escalate this to whatever clown and\or monkey you have in charge over there. While i'm back in, tons are still having this issue and it cost me about a day trying to piece everything together. I would imagine this would have more priority or at least most assistance considering this will impact the bottom line. If you make it this hard for customers to subscribe, most wont.

This is the current solution, take it or leave it.

There are a number of online retailers selling prepaid Ultimate Game Cards (online versions have no region blocks, with the exception of a few countries). Buy one of these, attempt to buy chrysta with the card code. Once that card code is refused, call Ultimate Pay and they will manually push chrysta onto your account (over riding the block) using your game card code. Takes 15 minutes tops.

[Luso]

Dear Customer,

Regarding your request for billing support. Please find your answer below.
We do not have information on why your transaction may not have been approved. If you are getting any sort of decline message, please wait 30 minutes, verify all of your billing information, and try again. If you would like further information about this specific transaction decline, please contact your bank or financial institution.
601, 401, and 105 means the financial institution may be declining the transaction attempt due to security reasons. While we are unable to see exactly why the transaction was declined, we can provide you with some guidance:
If the credit / debit card in question is 3D Secure, please make sure that you are inputting the correct 3D Secure PIN / password associated with it. Also, please be sure that 3D Secure is actually activated on the account.
Make sure that the card you're trying to use isn't already being used to pay for another account. Problems may arise if the an attempt is made to use the same card to bill two separate accounts simultaneously. If this is indeed your situation, please wait 24 hours between reactivation attempts.
Make sure that your card provider allows $1.00 preauthorization holds. This billing attempt is made in order to make sure that the account is valid for billing. After 1 to 2 business days, these funds will be placed back on the account. If your card issuer does not allow such preauthorization holds, you may want to contact them.
Please be aware that if the current credit / debit card you're using has resulted in either of the codes listed above, that card will be blocked from any further billing attempts for 24 hours. At this time, please try using another payment source as continued attempts using the blocked card will reset that 24 hour timer.
If you attempted this method of payment multiple times with a failed result, there is a possibility of a longer block being placed on the account. This block can last 30 days. If you have done this, you will need to use a different billing method.
Thank you for contacting the SQUARE ENIX Support Center.

Is there a way we can tell if our cards been blocked (SE Lock) besides trying to input it and resetting the lock timer? I haven't tried to add a subscription since the 16th, but I'm worried my cards might still be locked out since I tried to do it so many times.

Also waiting for my SE support ticket replies. Already had my calls and live chats closed due to no agents available the past 2 days...

[Corea]

Just to push the point home I've tried three payment methods, none worked. Authorization checks have showed up so clearly my bank is not the issue.

The whole "try another payment method" line is invalid. As for the ultimate game cards I'm not jumping through hoops to pay these people. If I have to make another phone call to get this game sub paid for it'll be to my bank to see what I can do about getting my money back from SE on a fraud/charge back basis.

We're clearly not getting what we paid for.

[Reignson]

I should have learned a lesson from 1.0 - I mean I bought the Box, and then the game was so bad that I only spent maybe a total of a week playing before I just got fed up enough to not bother. Here I am now, 3 years later, still unable to play this game. So I spent 50 bucks (or was it 60?) for a game that I have played for like 2 1/2 weeks... over 3 years. ( And don't get me started on the fact that I payed $20 more for the game than current new players but only get 1/3rd the free play time.) That's what I get for actually trying to like this game I guess. And now that I want to... I can't give them my money. It's just so pathetic, It doesn't even make me angry anymore.

[Corea]

I should have learned a lesson from 1.0 - I mean I bought the Box, and then the game was so bad that I only spent maybe a total of a week playing before I just got fed up enough to not bother. Here I am now, 3 years later, still unable to play this game. So I spent 50 bucks (or was it 60?) for a game that I have played for like 2 1/2 weeks... over 3 years. ( And don't get me started on the fact that I payed $20 more for the game than current new players but only get 1/3rd the free play time.) That's what I get for actually trying to like this game I guess. And now that I want to... I can't give them my money. It's just so pathetic, It doesn't even make me angry anymore.

Wow that's almost my story exactly. Got 1.0, just couldn't get into it and left after a week, played beta for 2.0 and loved it, bought the $20 CE upgrade becasue i liked the game so much, now I'm getting bit in the ass again. I didn't get to play much of the early access and first week of launch like a lot of people, and now can't play becasue I can't give them money in a resonably easy maner. I want to love this game, it's amazing, but the longer I go with out playing the less i feel inclined to hand over more money.

Lets go SE we want to give you money, why wont you work on taking it?

[Guammasa]

this is BS SE, total BS. People are trying to THROW money at you and you're dropping the ball and pissing people off. If this isn't fixed by the time my Free Trial days ends I'm done.

[Vampocha]

I used my HSBC debit card to pay subscription the other day, but I got an error 401 so I gave up on it and used my other card via Ultimateplay. But yesterday the HSBC called to tell me that there have been a transaction worth $15 from Square.. wtf. I checked on my account and it still doesn't have the 30days subs. Please see into this, I demand a refund.

[Ryvaard]

It can't be all are end where the 601 error is concerned. Both me and my wife use our joint card. Her payment was excepted right away and she got in fine on the same network same IP address. However I get error 601. I have waited 25 hours and still same problem. I have waited in a queue to talk to a support staff member for 6 hours to no reply. I have also tried my own personal card since waiting 25 hours and even my parents and still error 601. I have tried from a non private network as well. I would at least be satisfied if SE would at least say they are looking into it.