We don’t know what we’d do without the PlayStation Store. This software repository makes buying, installing and playing games simple and convenient, allowing us to access our library at the push of a button rather than getting up off the couch and having to cumbersomely swap discs. We love the PlayStation Store, and we’re excited for future innovations and updates both on the PS4 and the upcoming PS5 (when it’s announced).
However, sometimes the PlayStation Store just doesn’t love us back. Whether it’s unexplained crashes (mercifully rare, but still there), games not being available when we need them to or a chronic lack of demos (an industry problem, but one our dear PS4 can unfortunately suffer from), we just don’t always get what we want from the PS Store. One way in which this happens is error messages.
One of the most common error codes we’ve encountered is error WC-36547-5, which indicates a credit card you’ve tried to register is already associated with your account. The good news is that most of us have encountered this issue before, and fixing it is relatively straightforward. If you’ve encountered error WC-36547-5, here’s how to fix it.
Confirm your registered credit cards
The first and easiest step for solving this issue is to confirm your registered credit cards. Doing this is dead simple, and it won’t take you any time at all. Simply navigate to the PlayStation Store, then scroll down to “Payment Methods” in the menu on the left-hand side. When you’re prompted, re-enter your credit card information and confirm it. Try to make the purchase you tried earlier again (don’t worry, the error message blocks all transactions, so it won’t have gone through). If your problem is solved, congratulations! If not, read on.
Update your card information
There’s a chance that, if you’re using a replacement card or an updated card, you haven’t inputted the correct information on the PlayStation Store. Navigate to Payment Methods using the method we described before, and check whether the registered credit card on file matches the info on your current card. You could have replaced it thanks to a due expiry date, or you could perhaps have lost your card and applied for a new one from the credit card company. Either way, the info isn’t automatically updated on Sony’s servers, so you’ll need to add the new information. Do so and try again. Working yet?
Use a desktop browser to update your info
If you’ve tried both of the above methods and still aren’t having any joy, it could be the PS4 itself that’s the sneaky culprit. Some users who’ve encountered this error have reported that changing their card information or re-confirming it on the PC browser version of the PlayStation Store pays dividends, or at least allows them to pay the dividends they were previously trying to pay! Here’s how you can do this:
- Grab your laptop, desktop PC or chosen browser device
- Head over to the official Sony PlayStation Store website and log in to your account
- Go to the Wallet section within your account details
- Select “Add debit / credit card” and see if you can find your existing card
- Once you’ve found it, delete it and re-add the information (or add a new card)
- Set the new information as your primary card
Once all this is done, it’s a good idea to shut down your PS4 completely and / or log out of the PlayStation Network. Power the machine back on, log in again and see if the store recognises your new information. If it does, you can make your purchase unfettered. If not…
Turn off your PS4 at the wall
This is a drastic last step, and it likely won’t help anything because the hardware is usually not responsible for error messages within the PlayStation Store. Still, there’s a chance that the software is causing a fault with your card, so perform a hard reset by unplugging the console, waiting a few seconds then plugging it back in and switching it on again. See if this works, and if it doesn’t…
Rebuild the database
Again, this is not a step you should expect to necessarily work, but it’s worth trying. Switch off your PS4 completely, then press and hold the power button until you hear two beeps. Choose “Rebuild database” from the options menu (you’ll need to connect your PS4 controller via USB) and wait until this is done, then head in to the PS Store and see if your transaction works.
Contact Sony customer support
If all the steps detailed above fail, then you might need to contact Sony customer support to help with your problem. Don’t worry – the Sony folks are friendly, and they want to help! Just call them, get yourself redirected to the appropriate department and explain the problem. They’ll be more than happy to help you, and hopefully you’ll get the issue resolved quickly and easily.
We hope this guide has helped! Error WC-36547-5 is common enough that we know lots of PS4 users who’ve had it and managed to beat it, so we wish you the best of luck.
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