What does "Use another card" mean?
This message appears when Softpay cannot process a payment with the card that was tapped. The card itself may be perfectly fine — there are several reasons why it might not work with Softpay at that moment.
Most common reasons
The card hasn't been activated for contactless yet
Most new cards require at least one chip payment (physically inserted into a traditional terminal) before the contactless feature is unlocked.
Important for co-branded cards: Cards with two card schemes — such as Visa/BankAxept, MasterCard/Dankort, or other co-branded cards — need each scheme activated separately. Inserting the card in a chip terminal and paying with one scheme does not unlock the other.
For example: a MasterCard/Dankort card may have Dankort unlocked but not MasterCard. If your Softpay terminal only supports international schemes (Visa, MasterCard), the card will show "Use another card" because the one scheme it supports hasn't been activated yet.
What to do: Ask the customer to make a chip payment using the international scheme (Visa or MasterCard) on a traditional terminal first, then try Softpay again.
The card doesn't support contactless payments
Not all cards support contactless. Look for the contactless symbol (three curved lines) on the front or back of the card. If it's missing, the card can only be used with chip terminals.
The card scheme is not supported on your terminal
Your Softpay setup may not support the card's scheme. Go to Settings > App Info in the Softpay app to see which card schemes have a checkmark.
The card requires a chip payment after several contactless transactions
Some banks require a chip payment after a certain number of contactless transactions (typically 3–5) as a security measure. This is normal and not specific to Softpay.
What should I do?
Ask the customer to use a different card or a mobile wallet (Google Pay, Apple Pay) instead.
If the card is new or co-branded: Ask the customer to first make a chip payment with the relevant card scheme on a traditional terminal, then try Softpay again.
If this happens with many different cards: Check which card schemes are enabled on your terminal in Settings > App Info.
Still need help?
If you've confirmed the card works for contactless payments on other terminals and it's still being rejected by Softpay, please contact your Softpay provider with the following:
Your App ID (visible in the Softpay app)
The card scheme (Visa, MasterCard, etc.)
Which bank issued the card
Whether the card works with contactless on other terminals
Approximate time of the failed transaction