Where the message comes from
FastSpring is a payment platform that processes online sales for software companies as the merchant of record: it runs the checkout and takes the payment on the seller's behalf. Capture One says: “All purchases made in our official web store are processed by our payment provider FastSpring.” Steinberg's online shop help puts one card error down to a “Fraud decline by card issuer or FastSpring” and links to FastSpring's online shop support. When checkout at either store stops with the text below, it is FastSpring's system answering, not the developer's.
An unexpected error occurred, and we are not currently able to accept payment.
Despite the word “unexpected”, the official pages tie the message to specific causes. Four of them list it, and three give the cause:
| Page | Where the message is listed | Stated cause and fix |
|---|---|---|
| FastSpring consumer help (payment declined) | PayPal errors | “The transaction exceeded the card limit.” Contact the bank that issues the card associated with your PayPal account. |
| FastSpring consumer help (payment declined) | Amazon Pay errors | “The order amount is too high.” Try a form of payment other than Amazon Pay. |
| Steinberg Help: online shop checkout | PayPal errors and Amazon Pay errors | The same two causes, with slightly different wording: “we cannot currently accept payment”. |
| Capture One Support: payment issues | Among four checkout errors for a failed transaction | No specific cause given; the article covers bank declines and PayPal failures. |
FastSpring's seller documentation files it the same way, under “PayPal and Amazon Pay Errors”. Card errors are covered in our guide to the Capture One card decline.
Why it happens
With PayPal. PayPal charges the card or bank account set as the funding source in your wallet. If that card is over its limit, the payment fails and FastSpring shows this message. FastSpring's seller documentation adds that PayPal “does not provide detailed error logs to FastSpring”, so the store cannot tell you more. Capture One's article lists the other reasons a PayPal payment fails at its checkout:
- the billing address on your PayPal account is inaccurate or unconfirmed;
- the transaction exceeds a limit, or the card company declined it;
- you did not approve the payment in your PayPal account;
- the internet connection dropped on the checkout page, or the order was abandoned before payment finished;
- the PayPal authorization code was not entered correctly.
With Amazon Pay. The cause FastSpring gives is that the order amount is too high for Amazon Pay. None of the pages we read gives the amount at which this happens. In the Capture One store, Amazon is listed for USD orders only.
If a pending amount shows on your statement after the failure, FastSpring says it is likely “a small and temporary pre-authorization that will automatically clear from your statement”. FastSpring charges appear as “FSPRG”.
Fixes to try first
These steps come from the FastSpring, Capture One and Steinberg help pages.
- Pick a different funding source inside PayPal. FastSpring's advice for a failed PayPal payment is to select an alternate payment method within your PayPal wallet, for example another card or your PayPal balance.
- Ask your bank about the card behind PayPal. FastSpring and Steinberg both say to contact the bank that issued the card associated with your PayPal account. Ask whether the attempt hit a limit and whether it can be raised or cleared for one purchase.
- Check your PayPal account. Confirm your billing address in PayPal, approve the payment in the PayPal window, and keep the checkout open until the order is confirmed.
- Switch from Amazon Pay. If you were paying with Amazon Pay, FastSpring says to use another form of payment. The Capture One store lists cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay for all countries and currencies, and PayPal for 16 currencies in all countries except Turkey.
- Start a fresh browser session. Capture One suggests placing a new order in a fresh browser. When the checkout page hides the terms checkbox, FastSpring and Steinberg suggest clearing the browser cache, disabling spam or ad-blocker plugins, and trying another browser or computer.
- Open a case with FastSpring. FastSpring's payment-declined page suggests creating a support case if you still cannot complete the order. Include the store you were buying from (Capture One or Steinberg), the product, the time of the attempt, any order number you received and a screenshot of the message.
Buy it with crypto through Unboxkey
If no payment method gets through FastSpring's checkout, we can buy the license for you. You pay us in crypto (the coins and networks are on how to pay), we buy the license from the developer's store or a reseller, and we email it to you. The full process is on how it works.
Capture One Pro. We buy a new, never-activated perpetual license key and email it to you; you activate it on your own Capture One account. We do not sell Capture One subscriptions.
Capture One Pro
Perpetual license, one-time payment. Subscriptions are not offered.
$366.45total, fee included
- A new 16-character license key by email, activated on your own Capture One account
- Typically within 2 hours of payment confirmation (09:00–21:00 UTC), at most 24 hours
If we can't buy your license, we refund the full amount you paid, in the same coin, with no deductions.
Cubase 15. We email you the 25-character Download Access Code, which Steinberg describes as “a voucher for a software product and its license”. You redeem it once in your own MySteinberg account or in Steinberg Download Assistant, and the license stays in your account. We sell the full Elements, Artist and Pro editions.
Cubase Pro 15
Cubase Artist 15 and Cubase Elements 15 are on the product page.
$608.99total, fee included
- A Download Access Code by email, redeemed once in your own Steinberg account
- Typically within 2 hours of payment confirmation (09:00–21:00 UTC), at most 24 hours
If we can't buy your license, we refund the full amount you paid, in the same coin, with no deductions.
After you activate or redeem the license, the developer's license terms apply to it. Answers about orders and refunds are in our FAQ.
FAQ
Does this message mean my card was declined?
Not directly. FastSpring lists it under PayPal and Amazon Pay errors. With PayPal, the card linked to your PayPal account went over its limit. With Amazon Pay, the order amount is too high. A plain card decline has its own message: “Your credit card was declined. Please try another card, or choose a different form of payment.”
Was I charged when the payment failed?
FastSpring says that if your order is declined, any charge on your account is likely a small and temporary pre-authorization that clears from your statement on its own. Check again after several business days. FastSpring charges appear on statements as FSPRG.
Who can fix the error: Capture One, Steinberg or FastSpring?
FastSpring processes the payments for both stores, so payment problems go to FastSpring's consumer support, your bank or PayPal. Capture One says FastSpring has no control over bank declines, and Steinberg's help page links to FastSpring's online shop support. FastSpring says it cannot help with using the product itself; for that, contact Capture One or Steinberg.
Which payment methods can I use in the Capture One store instead?
Capture One lists cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay for all countries and currencies, PayPal for 16 currencies in all countries except Turkey, Amazon for USD orders, and AliPay for CNY and USD orders in China and the US (one-time purchases only).
Is a Cubase Download Access Code registered to my own account?
Yes, once you redeem it. Steinberg describes the code as a voucher for a software product and its license. It can be redeemed only once, and the license is then permanently available in the MySteinberg account that redeemed it.
Sources
- Capture One Support: Having issues with your payment? checked 19 October 2026
- FastSpring: Payment Declined (consumer help) checked 19 October 2026
- FastSpring: Declined and canceled payments checked 19 October 2026
- FastSpring: FastSpring Consumer Support checked 19 October 2026
- FastSpring: Hidden Terms and Conditions Checkbox checked 19 October 2026
- Steinberg Help: Online shop: checkout and purchasing checked 19 October 2026
- Capture One Support: What payment methods are accepted in Capture One web store? checked 19 October 2026
- Capture One Support: How do I find my Capture One license key? checked 19 October 2026
- Steinberg Help Center: Download Access Code FAQ checked 19 October 2026