Playstation Not Available For Purchase? Here’s How to Fix!

PlayStation not available for purchase and you’re wondering why? Keep reading!

The PlayStation Store is a network existing back from PlayStation 3 and now provides an excellent online service including games and apps for users to purchase.

In case you’re having a hard time understanding why your purchases won’t go through, here we’ll unwrap the topic!

When users are not able to purchase anything from the PlayStation Store, they need to restart their console and make sure that the WiFi/Ethernet connection is intact. In case that doesn’t help, the payment information should be re-added and verified.

Why PlayStation Store Items Can’t Be Purchased?

There are many reasons for your PS Store transactions to keep failing.

Sometimes even the PlayStation Plus is not available for purchase which keeps you offline, while your friends are playing together.

Let’s learn why this is happening!

First, check whether the PlayStation Store servers are online!

From the PSN Server Status page, you can immediately tell whether something with the PlayStation network is currently wrong.

You’ll need to look at the PlayStation Store bullet and when it’s green, it means that it’s online. In contrast, if it’s red, then the servers are down.

Reasons Why PlayStation Store Transactions Fail?

In case the PlayStation Store is online, here’s what else could be wrong:

• PlayStation is not connected to the internet
• Credit/Debit card is declined
• Not enough available funds in the bank account
• PlayStation console software-related problem

These are the general reasons why you can’t purchase anything from the PS Store.

However, next, we’re going to proceed with the best working solutions known to the community. 

How To Fix When PlayStation Not Available For Purchase?

To solve the transaction problem, we’re about to undertake a chronological list of methods that were proven to work by other users experiencing the exact same issue.

Let’s jump right in!

Method #1. Re-Try To Purchase!

To exclude the possibility that you’re doing something wrong, let’s first learn how to purchase games from the PlayStation store the correct way.

On top of that, this time you’ll be looking for an error prompt that would suggest where the issue is coming from.

Here’s how to correctly purchase games from the PlayStation Store:

1. From the Home Screen, select PlayStation Store.
2. Select the game that you would like to purchase.
3. Highlight the price and press the “X” button to purchase.
4. Agree to the terms and choose Order & Pay.
5. Tap Download to acquire the purchased game.

In case you’re seeing error WC-40360-3, then you’re sharing a common problem with purchasing PlayStation Store items.

Proceed with the next solutions to solve the problem!

Method #2. Restart The Console

Before we proceed with more complex solutions it’s good to perform a PlayStation restart to refresh ALL services and possibly solve the PS Store problem.

If you want to take one step further and perform a power cycle, follow the steps below:

The power cycle is one of the most efficient ways to restart the device:

1. Using the PS controller, turn the console OFF.
2. Disconnect the power adapter from the wall outlet.
3. Unplug the power adapter from the back of the PlayStation.
4. Wait for at least 2 minutes for the PlayStation to discharge.
5. Plug the cables back into the console and the power.
6. Turn ON the PlayStation.

Now, after the power cycle, there is a great chance that the PlayStation Store problem will be gone.

In that regard, scroll up and using solution #1, re-attempt to purchase an item.

Note: Waiting for longer while the console is OFF, provides a complete power circulation!

Method #3. Restore Your PSN License

This is a frequently used method when PlayStation users have trouble purchasing an item from the PS Store.

The license restoration happens from the settings so you wouldn’t need to interact with the console in any physical way in this step.

Here’s how to restore the PlayStation license from the settings:

1. On the Home Screen of the PlayStation go to Settings.
2. From there choose Account Management.
3. Next, select Restore License.
4. Wait until the restoration is complete.

When the restoration of the PSN license is complete, re-attempt to purchase the game.

Don’t forget to check the first solution in this guide to make sure you’re doing the purchase correctly.

Method #4. Remove Everything From Cart

Sometimes when there are several, mistakenly added games in the cart, you might be attempting to purchase them all at once.

Luckily for you, the available funds on your Credit/Debit card might not be enough so the transaction would fail every time.

To open the PSN Store cart, use the PS controller to go to the menu and move left to highlight the cart. Then hit the “X” button to enter the cart and check what’s in there.

Remove ALL games from the PSN Store cart and re-attempt your purchase!

In addition, log in to your bank account to check whether there are enough available funds to cover the game cost.

In case everything seems OK, proceed with the Order & Pay button.

Tip: Make sure to have at least $1 or $2 on top of the required money to make sure that the transaction will go through.

Method #5. Reconnect The PS To The Internet

The problem with the PlayStation Store problem could be related to the lack of internet or constant fluctuations with the WiFi.

It does not matter whether you’re connected to the internet via WiFi or Ethernet cable, the internet should be stable for any online transactions to pass.

Here’s how to reconnect PS to WiFi:

1. From the Home Screen, open Settings.
2. Choose Network > Set Up Internet Connection.
3. From there choose WiFi > Easy.
4. Select your WiFi and insert the password.

Here’s how to hook up the PS to the internet via Ethernet:

1. Plug an Ethernet wire into one of the yellow ports of your router.
2. Insert the other end of the Ethernet wire into your PlayStation.
3. Go to Settings and select Network. 
4. Choose Set Up Internet Connection.
5. Select LAN Cable > Easy

In case you’re concerned that the internet is currently fluctuating or down, feel free to share a hotspot from your mobile smartphone and connect the PlayStation to the network.

Notice: Proceed only after you’re confident that your internet is not the cause of the issue!

Method #6. Free Up Some Space!

In some cases, the transaction in the PlayStation Store actually goes through but the game can’t be downloaded.

In such cases, users assume that they can’t purchase the game, where the problem is on an entirely different level.

If you see the “Download” button, then the game is successfully purchased!

However, to be able to download the game after it has been bought, you’ll need to have an internet connection on your PlayStation and enough free storage space.

In case you’re out of storage make sure to delete games until you have enough space to support the game!

Note: Keeping your PlayStation storage full, makes the performance slow!

Method #7 Factory Reset The PlayStation

In case nothing helps, and you’re unable to purchase games from the PlayStation store, here we’ll perform the last and most powerful method.

The factory reset will revert ALL PlayStation settings to default and delete ALL games from the storage.

Here’s how to perform a factory reset on your PlayStation:

1. From the Home Screen, go to Settings.
2. Choose Initialisation.
3. Select Restore Default Settings.
4. Follow the instructions to complete the reset.

When the reset is completed, reconnect the PlayStation to the internet using method #5 and re-attempt your purchase in the PS Store using method #1.

Tip: In case the problem persists, check again if the PSN Store servers are online!

Quick Recap:

Hence, you’re not able to purchase anything from the PS Store because your console is not connected to the internet or the PSN servers are down. Users should also check their bank accounts for available funds and remove other items from the cart.

Final Thoughts:

Now that we’ve learned why PlayStation not available for purchase and how to solve the problem in a few easy methods, we’re ready to be online!

Don’t forget that when the problem is persistent you should contact Sony support and get this issue unwrapped.

We hope that this post was helpful and for more relevant content make sure to check our blog!