Why Is My HyCard Locked or Paused?

Your HyCard can be stopped for three different reasons, and each one has its own timer. It can lock for a while after too many wrong PIN attempts, it can pause for 24 hours after you change or reset your PIN, and checkout can briefly refuse new attempts after too many wrong CVV entries. All three are safety features that protect your money, and all of them end on their own. This article explains each one, how long it lasts, what you can and cannot do in the meantime, and how to avoid running into it again.

The three situations at a glance

• “Card locked. Try again in …” means you had five wrong PIN attempts. It lasts 15 minutes, then 1 hour, then 24 hours.
• “HyCard payments are paused for about … more hour(s) after your PIN change.” means you changed or reset your PIN. It lasts 24 hours.
• “Too many attempts. Try again later.” means the CVV was entered wrongly five times. It lasts about 30 minutes.

1. Locked after wrong PIN attempts

You get five tries to enter your PIN correctly. On every wrong try, the card tells you how many attempts are left. After the fifth wrong attempt, your card locks:

• The first lock lasts 15 minutes.
• If it happens again, the next lock lasts 1 hour.
• After that, each lock lasts 24 hours.

A correct PIN clears the count and starts you from the beginning again. While your card is locked, you cannot see your card details, pay with HyCard, or send money by HyTag, because all of these need your PIN. You can still see your balance and receive money.

We also email you each time a card is locked, so you know someone entered a wrong PIN. If it was not you, freeze your wallet straight away: open live chat at https://support.hydistro.com/live-chat and send the message Freeze wallet to Hylora.

Want to get in sooner? You do not have to wait. Reset your PIN with the 6-digit code we email you. The steps are in How Do I Set, Change or Reset My Wallet PIN? Resetting your PIN opens your card straight away, but it also starts the 24-hour pause described below.

2. Paused for 24 hours after a PIN change

When you change or reset your PIN, HyDistro pauses sending money by HyTag and paying with HyCard at checkout for 24 hours. This stops anyone who might have gained access to your account from changing your PIN and spending your balance straight away.

• At checkout, the HyCard option tells you roughly how many hours are left.
• Your balance, your card details and receiving money are not affected.
• The pause ends by itself. You do not need to do anything.
• Creating your very first PIN does not start a pause.

If you did not change your PIN yourself, freeze your wallet right away through live chat (send Freeze wallet to Hylora), then tell us at https://support.hydistro.com/submit-ticket

While you wait, you can still pay for what you need another way. See What Payment Methods Can I Use at Checkout?

3. Checkout refuses new attempts for a while

Checkout also has its own limits to stop guessing:

• Wrong CVV. If the CVV is wrong five times for the same card, checkout stops accepting attempts for about 30 minutes and says “Too many attempts. Try again later.”
• Too many payment attempts. If you try to pay many times in a few minutes, you will be asked to “wait a few minutes and try again.”

Waiting is the only fix for these. Make sure you have the current CVV from the back of your card before you try again. See How Do I See My HyCard Number, Expiry Date and CVV?

This is not the same as a frozen wallet

A locked card or a pause affects HyCard and HyTag sending only, and ends on its own. A frozen wallet stops withdrawals, transfers and payments, and needs HyDistro to unfreeze it. If you see “Your wallet is frozen”, read What Does It Mean If My Wallet Is Frozen?

How to avoid it

• Open the back of your card and read your CVV before you start paying.
• If you are not sure of your PIN after two wrong tries, stop and use Forgot PIN? instead of guessing.
• Choose a PIN you will remember, so you do not need to reset it often.
• Do not change your PIN right before something you need to pay for.

For how to pay once you are ready, read How Do I Pay With My HyCard at Checkout? If your payment fails for another reason, read What Do I Do If My HyCard Payment Fails?

Still stuck?

Open live chat at https://support.hydistro.com/live-chat or submit a ticket at https://support.hydistro.com/submit-ticket. We will never ask for your PIN or CVV.