When you review the transactions on a Visa® Prepaid Card, you may notice that some appear as "Pending." You may also come across the term "Pre-Authorized," which means the same thing. This is common for recent transactions that are still being processed by the merchant.
In this article, you'll learn what a pending transaction is, how it affects the Card balance, and what to do if a pending amount looks wrong.
What is a pending transaction?
Some merchants complete a purchase right away. Others take longer to finalize it. When a merchant takes longer, the purchase may show as "Pending" on the dashboard and in the True Link mobile app until the merchant finalizes it.
This is common at restaurants, gas stations, hotels, and other merchants where the exact amount owed isn't known when the Card is used.
For example, a restaurant may not finalize a purchase when the Card is swiped. Instead, it may wait up to several days to update the amount to the final total, including a tip. Until then, the dashboard may show a pending transaction for the amount of the bill, which may or may not match the final amount. Once the purchase is completed, the "Pending" label goes away and the amount updates to the final total.
How pending transactions affect the Card
- Pending amounts come out of the available balance right away. Money is set aside from the Card's available balance as soon as the merchant's request is approved, even while the transaction is still pending. The balance shown in the upper right corner of the online dashboard, and the balance in the mobile app, is the current available balance. It already accounts for any pending transactions, so it shows what the cardholder can spend right now.
- Pending transactions can't be blocked. If a transaction shows as pending, the merchant has already received approval from Visa to complete it. Changes to the Card's Spending Settings, such as blocking a merchant, apply to future purchases but won't stop a pending transaction from completing.
- Pending transactions count toward spending limits. If the Card has a Spending Period Limit, a pending transaction reduces the amount remaining in the spending period right away. See Spending Period Limits for how the amount adjusts when the merchant finalizes a lower total.
- Some merchants ask for more than the purchase price. Gas stations, restaurants, and hotels may pre-authorize a larger amount to cover things like a tip or incidentals. If the Card has a per-purchase spending limit, a pre-authorization above that limit can cause the purchase to be declined. See Spending Settings - Spending Limits.
How long a transaction stays pending
Pending transactions are typically completed within a few days. The timing depends on how the merchant processes transactions with Visa, so it can vary. Some merchants, like hotels or car rental companies, may take up to 30 days to complete a pending transaction.
If a pending amount looks wrong
Pending amounts can change once the merchant completes the charge. For example, a restaurant will update the pending amount to include the tip that was left. If a pending amount looks incorrect, it's usually best to wait until the charge is completed.
If a purchase is completed for an amount you believe is incorrect, contact our Customer Support team — we can help you review it and file a dispute. Merchants can often process a refund faster than the dispute process, so it may be worth contacting the merchant as well. You are not required to contact the merchant before filing a dispute with us. For more, see Disputing Fraudulent Transactions or Merchant Errors.