What Is This Error
When signing up for AWS or adding a card to your billing profile, you see "We could not verify your card" or "Card verification failed." AWS cannot complete the verification process, leaving your account without an active payment method.
Why It Happens
AWS uses a micro-charge method to verify cards — unlike Stripe, which places a $0 authorization hold, AWS actually charges a small amount (typically $1 or its local currency equivalent) and waits for confirmation. Verification can fail for several reasons.
Prepaid cards are not supported. AWS explicitly rejects prepaid cards for account verification. The micro-charge method requires the card to support refunds and have a real billing account with the issuer.
Card doesn't support international transactions. If your card is blocked for foreign currency payments, the micro-charge from Amazon won't go through.
Country mismatch. AWS requires the billing address country to match the card's issuing country. Any discrepancy causes the verification to fail.
Card doesn't support refunds. After verification, AWS refunds the micro-charge. Cards that don't support refunds (some prepaid types) will trigger an error during this step.
AWS regional restrictions. Some countries cannot register an AWS account with a local card — a card from a supported region is required.
Step-by-Step Fix
Confirm you're not using a prepaid card. AWS explicitly rejects prepaid cards. You need a standard debit or credit card with a real billing account.
Get a Marix virtual card with a US billing address. Such a card passes AWS verification — it's not classified as prepaid, has a correct billing address, and supports refunds.
Enter the exact billing address. When adding the card in AWS, use the address tied to your virtual card, including the correct zip code.
Make sure you have at least $1 on the card. AWS charges a micro-amount to verify the card. A zero balance will cause the check to fail immediately.
Enable international payments. In your banking app, confirm the card allows online transactions in foreign currencies.
Don't use a VPN during registration. AWS checks that your IP location matches the card's country. A VPN can trigger additional security reviews.
Try a different browser. AWS can have caching issues. Try in incognito mode or a different browser.
Contact AWS Support if verification still fails after all steps. In some cases AWS Support can manually verify an account.
FAQ
When does AWS refund the micro-charge? AWS refunds the verification charge within 3–5 business days after successful verification.
Can I register AWS with a card from a sanctioned country? Since 2022 this has been effectively impossible — cards from Russian banks, for example, don't pass verification due to sanctions. A card with a foreign billing address is required.
What if my card was verified but then removed from the account? This can happen if AWS re-validates the card and detects a mismatch. Re-add the card with the correct billing address.
Need a card for AWS verification? Try Marix — virtual cards with US billing that Amazon Web Services accepts.