How do I know if my booking has failed?
If you have tried to confirm a booking and it has failed, you may notice one or more of the following:
Instead of a confirmation page, you may see a message indicating that the booking has failed.
You will not receive a booking confirmation email or a booking reference number.
You may see one or more pending transactions on your bank account.
What causes a failed booking?
A failed booking can occur for different reasons; some of the most common are:
The quote has expired: If you have previously saved a quote and then tried to book after it has expired, the booking will fail. You will need to clear your internet browser cookies and reload our website before creating a new quote. To avoid this, finalise the payment in a single session to ensure the quote remains valid.
The payment card has not been authenticated: If you have not authenticated your payment card during the booking process, the booking will fail. You will need to ensure that authentication is completed; this may be done via a mobile app or a browser pop-up. You can read more about authentication with VISA here and with Mastercard here.
The availability has changed: If the availability of the sailing changes during the booking process, the booking will fail. You will need to clear your internet browser cookies and reload the page to get the latest availability.
There is a technical issue: If the ferry partner's booking system experiences a technical issue, your booking will fail. Please contact us and click 'Talk to a person 👤' to connect with an agent for further guidance.
Incorrect or missing information: Errors in passenger details, vehicle specifications, or mandatory items (e.g., onboard accommodations) can prevent bookings from being confirmed. Ensure all information is accurate before proceeding. For example, incorrect age categories for children or missing required fields such as passport expiry dates can lead to booking errors.
Navigating back during checkout: Using the browser’s back button during the booking process interrupts the transaction, leading to a failed booking. Avoid navigating back to prevent interruptions.- Full Sailings: Error messages like "Error 903" may indicate that the sailing is fully booked. In such cases, you will need to search for alternative sailings or dates.
Browser pop-ups are blocked: If your browser is blocking pop-ups, payment authentication may not be able to complete, causing the booking to fail. Ensure pop-ups are enabled for the AFerry website.
Timeouts: Taking too long to complete the booking process can cause the transaction to time out. Ensure you complete the booking promptly to avoid this issue.
What should I do if I have a failed booking?
If you have a failed booking, you should take the follow steps:
⚠️ Made multiple failed payment attempts? Do not retry immediately — each new attempt creates an additional temporary authorisation hold on your bank account. Wait 3–5 business days for existing holds to clear, or try a different payment method before attempting to book again.
Pending charge on your account: If you see a pending transaction, this is a temporary authorisation hold — not a permanent charge. AFerry cancels this automatically once a booking fails; you do not need to contact AFerry or your bank to trigger this. The hold will clear within 3–5 business days. If it has not cleared after 8 business days, contact your bank with the transaction details.
Contact us and click 'Talk to a person 👤' to connect with an agent. We will check our systems to locate the failed booking and find out why it failed. We will also be able to provide instructions to prevent another failed booking.
Start fresh with a new quote: Always begin a new booking from the start instead of using old or expired quotes. Clear your browser history and cache to avoid outdated availability or pricing issues.
Double-check all details: Verify passenger information, vehicle specifications, and mandatory items before proceeding to payment. Avoid using punctuation marks in form fields, as this can cause errors.
If your payment keeps being declined: Contact your bank to check whether they are blocking the transaction, or try a different payment method. If a previous attempt has already left a pending hold on your account, avoid retrying with the same payment method straight away — wait 3–5 business days for existing holds to clear, or use PayPal or a different card.6. Enable pop-ups: Ensure your browser allows pop-up windows, as these may be required for payment authentication.
Switch devices or browsers: If problems persist, try using a different device or browser (e.g., Chrome is recommended). For example, switching from mobile to desktop may resolve certain issues.
Use the AFerry website: If you experience issues in the app, complete your booking on the AFerry website instead.