Just an experience-report in case it adds anything to PGM's order/delivery system-awareness for future transactions.

Pretty much the same results here too when purchasing 2014 upgrade yesterday am. UK time for download delivery.

I had 5 attempts fail, each with a different credit card and the same "verification could not be obtained ...." remark returned (2 Visa, 1 MasterCard, 2 different Amex accounts - personal and business.)

Three of those were also second-attempts with the same card (one Visa, one Amex, the MasterCard.)

I knew however that my card accounts etc were all in order, and it is also the case that as I travel quite widely for business including to the US, a purchase of this size/nature/location isn't out of my spending pattern so shouldn't have triggered a hold/query, most certainly not with Amex.

Reading between the lines it appeared that nothing was being onward-processed by PGM for issuer-verification. I have subsequently checked with all, and it appears that no payment requests were received from PGM.

My getaround at the time was simply to use Paypal, and that went through instantly.

I will nevertheless be checking future CC statements for a while in case any of the 5 made it through the payment system regardless of what appears to be indicated, and an accidental duplicate charge has been taken somewhere. This is just a precaution on my part however and is not aimed at PGM in particular with whose services etc I have always been more than happy, but no system is infallible regardless of whose it is and what is claimed.

In the event that there might be some arising-thoughts about possible system-engineering I hope this might usefully contribute.