Payment Processing Issues
 

Hi all,

Just checking experiences of other travellers. Trying to book via Westjet website and when the site tries to process the payment, I get an error saying unable to process payment (NB: I am overseas but trying to pay with my Canadian credit card). RBC and Westjet both say they seem nothing being rejected or requested for approval. Anyone experience this before? Called Westjet and told me that even though its a website I have to pay an admin fee for them to book the tickets for me (Crazy!).

It probably has to do with the combination of overseas and a Canadian credit card. I have had that issue too when trying to book tickets from East Asia. And yes, tickets issued via their call center have a fee associated with them.

HUCA might solve this. They can sometimes waive the fees for something where the website is having an issue booking it.

I had this issue throughout last year. One time I physically had to go to YYC from my home to book the ticket in person with my card because it was for a next day flight. I was livid. And I had the same situation with the call centre. I said you should waive the admin fee if your site is not allowing me to book. He wouldn't budge. I tried 2 US cards and 1 Canadian card online. Wouldn't process. Tried the same 3 with the unhelpful and rude call centre agent. He couldn't get the payments to go through.

This happened for 4-5 months last year and during that time I just booked with United and Air Canada. Was absolutely maddening.

Randomly it just stopped being an issue in December. I don't think it has to do with using a Canadian vs foreign card. I regularly use a non-Canadian card to book with them.

I am having this exact issue right now trying to book on the 30th birthday sale that ends tonight.
Tried 2 different credit cards multiple times and on 2 different computers. No go.
Very frustrating :mad:

I am in the same boat, but only when trying to apply WestJet points. I kept getting error messages (thought it was the card at first so I tried another one, same problem).

Then by mistake I made the purchase without applying WestJet points, it went through. (I immediately cancelled, so no big deal.)

Tried again with WestJet points, no dice. I am going to call in to get an agent to force the payment through which I understand they can do. I expect to not have to pay any phone booking fee given that the website is clearly messed up.

After only about a 3 min wait on hold I got a semi-helpful agent. Turns out the reason my payment wouldnt go thru is I was trying to use a discount sale code
for a return trip where the 2nd leg was a date that was blacked out, Instead of stopping the booking process it lets you go all the way to the payment point.
Im pretty sure I have used a discount code on AC where it will let you use it on 1 leg only in the case of a blacked out date on a return trip. WJ wont allow it.

I ended up booking 2 one-ways to get around the problem. BTW the agent was going to charge me the $25 booking fee if he booked it for me. Wouldnt budge
on that. Quoting policy blah blah blah.

Interestingly, I can't even sign into WestJet Rewards at all now, I just get error messages.

What year is this for pete's sake?!?!? :mad:

The whole WestJet login was down for a while on Feb 26th.

Well, there are still problems. I could not book online yesterday (at least not using my points), I had to call in and it was excruciatingly long despite the fact that the agent could see all the particulars from my attempted booking that didn't go through on their website.

I don't know that I've ever had an online transaction that painful before. It's like they don't want your money...