Pending transactions and how they work | Greater Bank (2024)

What are pending transactions?

Have you noticed a difference between your account balance and your available funds?

The difference may be due to a pending transaction.

Payments, cash withdrawals or deposits can sometimes appear as pending on your account until the transaction is fully processed.

This can cause some confusion as you may think that a payment hasn’t been successful, or you might have been charged for something twice.

Here's some information to help you understand pending transactions and the steps to raise a dispute.

How pending transactions work

When a transaction is authorised it is confirming to the merchant your card is valid and there’s money in your account to pay for what you’re buying.

The transaction amount is then deducted from your available funds and the transaction shows as pending on your account until the payment process is complete.

The amount marked as pending is deducted from the available funds not your account balance.

If you want to know how much money you have available in your account look at your available funds.

Pending transactions generally take three to five business days to process. Some can take up to 10 business days.

Pre-authorised payments may take longer.

If you allow a merchant to use your card for pre-authorised payments, things like a security deposit for a hotel booking or car hire, expect to wait up to 7 days for your available balance to be adjusted.

In some instances, we may authorise your card transaction but the merchant may not process the transaction immediately.

Pending transactions and how they work | Greater Bank (2024)

FAQs

Pending transactions and how they work | Greater Bank? ›

The amount marked as pending is deducted from the available funds not your account balance. If you want to know how much money you have available in your account look at your available funds. Pending transactions generally take three to five business days to process. Some can take up to 10 business days.

How do pending transactions work? ›

A pending credit card transaction is a purchase or charge that hasn't been fully processed. This happens when the credit card issuer has confirmed that you have the available balance to pay for the purchase but has not fully processed it yet.

Does a pending transaction mean they already took the money? ›

Does 'pending' mean the money has already been taken from your account? A pending transaction means it's authorised and being processed. While the amount charged is taken from your available funds, it won't be reflected in your account balance until processed.

How long can a bank hold a pending transaction? ›

Many pending charges disappear in around 5 days or less. Though some institutions may have a longer period. It ultimately depends on the type of transaction, the processor settings for the credit card program, and what's stated in your agreement.

Can banks override pending transactions? ›

The bank will investigate on your behalf and cancel any fraudulent charges. If you see a pending transaction for an amount that doesn't match your records, you can ask your bank to nullify the charge.

Will a pending transaction definitely go through? ›

Pending transactions don't always affect your balance right away. Sometimes they change in amount. Sometimes they even disappear altogether. When you make a purchase, sometimes it'll show up as pending for a few minutes, hours, or even days.

Can pending transactions be declined? ›

A pending purchase made with your bank account or credit card could be declined if your account doesn't have enough funds or the merchant won't accept payment from your bank.

Does money come out on pending transaction? ›

It means your bank has approved the payment, but the retailer needs to finish collecting it. Once that happens, the pending transaction becomes a completed transaction. It should then appear in your normal account balance.

How long do pending transactions take to clear? ›

Pending transactions typically take between 5 and 7 business days to process but some pending transactions, typically those related to estimated and incremental authorisations, can take 16 days or longer.

Does pending payment mean paid? ›

The basics of payment processing

Typically, they will mark it as pending payment (or payment pending). This means that they are ringfencing the account holder's funds on the expectation that they will need to make payment later. Once the payment request is presented, the bank will release the funds.

Can I spend money that is pending? ›

Until it processes, a pending transaction could put a hold on an account balance or credit limit. That doesn't necessarily mean you can't use your credit card or bank account. But it can affect your available balance—or the funds you're able to access.

What is the maximum time for a pending transaction? ›

A pending transaction is a recent authorised card transaction that is waiting to be processed by the merchant and can take up to 28 days but normally takes 2/3 days to clear onto your balance. Once a pending transaction has cleared, it will appear below in your list of cleared transactions.

Can a bank block a pending transaction? ›

Can a pending transaction be declined? Your bank or credit card issuer can decline a pending transaction if it exceeds your available funds. How to cancel a pending transaction. Typically you can't cancel a pending transaction.

Does pending mean the money is in your account? ›

TLDR: A pending transaction is any transaction that has been authorized but has yet to be posted to your account. Pending transactions can impact your available balance (the amount of money you have available). A posted transaction is a completed transaction that has been fully processed.

Can pending transactions be wrong? ›

Fraud. If you see a pending transaction you don't recognize — and you know authorized users of your card didn't make the purchase — contact the credit card company. It's easiest to call the phone number on the back of the card. Don't fret if the fraudulent charge advances from pending to posted.

How long does a merchant have to finalize a transaction? ›

Generally speaking, credit card issuers don't have a time limit for charging a customer's credit card. The issuing banks, however, will often impose a limit on merchants for charging. These limits can range anywhere from three to 30 days.

How long will it take for a pending transaction? ›

Pending transactions typically take between 5 and 7 business days to process but some pending transactions, typically those related to estimated and incremental authorisations, can take 16 days or longer.

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