Kris, As a fellow New Yorker, I completely understand your pain when it comes down to the high taxation here. But, in the end of the day, you can’t escape...
(a) You made a typo in the card number, CCV code, expiration date, name or address;
(b) Your card balance is too low;
(c) Issuing bank has declined this transaction for some other reason related to your account.