A pending transaction or authorization is a charge that’s authorized by your credit card company but not yet fully processed by the merchant.
Transactions usually post within 72 hours. Here are some of the reasons why a transaction may still be pending:
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A restaurant accounts for a tip you added to your bill.
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A gas station removes the authorization fee they charge for paying at the pump.
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A hotel or car rental agency adjusts for what they estimated for incidentals.
These adjustments also explain why final transactions and pending amounts sometimes differ.
Until it processes, a pending transaction places a hold on your available credit for the amount that is pending. That doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t use your credit card, but it can affect your available credit — in other words, the money you’re able to access.
How long does a pending transaction take to post to my account?
Transactions usually post within 72 hours, but sometimes it can take up to 5 days.
What if I have a problem with a pending transaction?
If you authorized the charge, but there’s a problem with the product, service or transaction details, you’ll have to wait until the transaction posts before reporting a problem. A pending transaction amount may change or drop off of your account entirely. Once the transaction has been posted, and you’ve tried to resolve the problem with the merchant directly, you can report a problem with a transaction by starting the dispute claim process.
If the charge was not authorized by you or anyone else on your account, you should start the fraud claim process immediately — not wait until the transaction has been posted.
How does a pending transaction impact my available credit?
Pending transactions are subtracted from your available credit immediately but are not yet added to your account balance. The pending transaction becomes part of your account balance once the merchant finalizes the charge.
Does a pending credit card charge accrue interest?
No, pending charges don’t accrue interest.