Who this article is for: CleverCards Cardholders who can see a pending transaction in the CleverCards App.
What does pending mean?
A pending transaction is a card payment we have authorised but the retailer has not yet collected.
When you pay, the retailer asks us to set the amount aside. We place a hold on that money. It has not left your card yet, but you cannot spend it while it is held. This is called an authorisation hold.
The transaction stays marked as pending in the app until the retailer collects the money or the hold is released.
How long does a hold last?
This depends on the type of purchase. The timeframes below are typical, but they are not guaranteed.
Type of purchase | Typical timeframe |
Most purchases | Up to 7 days |
Hotels, taxis and similar | Up to 30 days |
If the retailer collects the money within that timeframe, the transaction changes to Approved in the App.
If they do not, the hold expires and the amount becomes available on your card again. This is not a refund. The money was only held and had not been collected.
Please note that some retailers can still collect a payment after the hold has expired. If this happens, the amount will be taken from your card at that point.
Why is the final amount different from the pending amount?
Some retailers place a hold for an estimated amount and collect the final amount later. This is common with hotels, car hire, fuel, taxis, public transport, restaurants where a tip is added, and payments in a foreign currency.
For example, some public transport operators place a small hold when you first tap your card. They then collect the full fare later, once your journey or day of travel is complete. If you make several journeys, these may be combined into a single charge.
The amount shown once the transaction completes is the amount you have paid.
Can a pending transaction be cancelled?
We cannot cancel or release a pending transaction once it has been authorised. Only the retailer can do this.
If you have cancelled an order, returned an item, or been charged twice, please contact the retailer and ask them to release the hold. If they do not release it, it will drop off once the timeframe above has passed.
If you want to dispute a transaction, you can only do this once it has fully completed.
If you do not recognise the pending transaction, please immediately freeze your card and contact our Customer Support team on [email protected]
Where do I check the status of a transaction?
You can see the status of every transaction in the CleverCards App. See Viewing your cards, balance and transactions in the app.