What's a pending card transaction?
Sometimes, you might notice that a card transaction remains pending several days after making the payment.
A pending card transaction is a payment made with a debit or credit card that has been authorized but not yet fully processed or settled. When a transaction appears as authorized in Payhawk, this means that the funds have been temporarily reserved by the merchant but haven't yet been deducted from your account and haven’t been transferred to the merchant.
For most merchants, transactions are processed within 3-5 business days, though some may take longer. Since the settlement process is entirely managed by the merchant, you can contact them directly to request a faster resolution.
If the payment is still not settled 30 days after the transaction date, contact Payhawk Support at suppport@payhawk.com.
Pending card transactions for hotels and car rentals
Merchants like hotels or car rental companies often place a temporary hold, or pre-authorization, on your card to ensure funds are available for your stay and any extra charges, such as room service, mini-bar, or damages. This isn’t an actual charge but a temporary hold on a specific amount. The final charge will only be made once the total amount is confirmed.
When the merchant processes the authorization, the transaction status will update from Authorized to Paid, the amount will adjust to reflect the actual charge, and the payment status will change from Pending settlement to Settled.
The merchant is responsible for managing the settlement process. If the merchant releases the full hold, the expense will be removed from your expense list, as expenses cannot be deleted manually. Temporary holds can last anywhere from 30 to 45 days.
Pending card transactions at self-service gas stations
When you pay with your card at a self-service gas station, the merchant typically places a hold for the maximum amount at the time of the transaction.
Once the transaction is settled, only the actual purchase amount will be deducted from your card balance, and the remaining funds will be released and made available for you to use.
Settlement usually takes about 3 days for the merchant to complete, though in rare cases, it may take slightly longer.
Managing pending card transactions
To check whether a pending card transaction has been settled or reverted, monitor your payment summary regularly:
If the merchant doesn't settle the transaction, the authorization will typically expire after 3 calendar days, and the reserved funds will be automatically returned back to your account.
If the merchant settles the authorized amount during the pending period, the transaction will be finalized and deducted from your balance.
To address any issues with the settled amount:
Contact Payhawk Support to initiate a dispute case, if you think that the charge is incorrect.
Contact the merchant to request a refund or clarification, if you notice a discrepancy between an expected amount and the final settled amount. Be prepared to provide payment confirmations and transaction reference numbers from Payhawk.