Authorization hold

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Authorization hold (or card authorisation) is the practice within the banking industry of authorizing electronic transactions done with a debit card or credit card and holding this balance as unavailable either until the merchant clears the transaction (also called settlement), or the hold "falls off." In the case of debit cards, authorization holds can fall off the account (thus rendering the balance available again) anywhere from 1-5 days after the transaction date depending on the bank's policy; in the case of credit cards, holds may last as long as 30 days, depending on the issuing bank. Visa allows merchants to void an authorization hold immediately or adjust the amount of the hold in a process known as an authorization reversal; other card associations require customers to wait until the customer's bank invalidates the hold.

Signature-based (non-PIN-based) credit and debit card transactions are a two-step process, consisting of an authorization and a settlement.

When a merchant swipes a customer's credit card, the credit card terminal connects to the merchant's acquirer, or credit card processor, which verifies that the customer's account is valid and that sufficient funds are available to cover the transaction's cost. At this step, the funds are "held" and deducted from the customer's credit limit (or bank balance, in the case of a debit card) but are not yet transferred to the merchant. At the end of the day, the merchant instructs the credit card machine to submit the finalized transactions to the acquirer in a "batch transfer," which begins the settlement process, where the funds are transferred from the customer's accounts to the merchant's accounts. Contrary to popular belief, this process is not instantaneous: the transaction may not appear on the customer's statement or online account activity for one to two days, and it can take up to three days for funds to be deposited in the merchant's account.

For example, if an individual has a credit limit of $100 and uses a credit card to make a purchase at a retail store for $30, then his available balance will immediately decrease to $70. This is because the merchant has obtained an authorization from the individual's bank by swiping the card through its credit card terminal. However, the actual balance with the bank is still $100, because the merchant has not actually collected the funds in question. The actual balance will not be reduced until the merchant submits their batch of transactions and the banking system transfers the funds.

[edit] Confusion in online banking

When viewing an online banking website, authorization holds often appear in the "pending transactions" section of the balance sheet. As stated above, authorization holds only last for a fixed maximum period of time. So, if an individual made the $30 purchase listed above, and their bank only kept that authorization hold in place for 1 business day, then the individual would see the funds as a pending transaction for that first day. If the merchant failed to present the item for payment within that first day, the authorization hold would "fall off" and the funds would appear to be available again. If the merchant then presented the item for payment 2 days later, the $30 transaction would "reappear" and actually be debited from the account at that time. This causes some issues with overdraft fees, as customers who rely solely on the online (or ATM) balance may not be taking into account transactions for which the authorzation hold has fallen off. This creates a false impression of the balance, and can cause the customer to spend more than they actually have in the account.

[edit] Other issues with authorization holds

Another issue that occurs on a regular basis with authorization holds is when the transaction amount changes between when the hold is placed on the account, and when the transaction is settled. This most commonly occurs in situations where the final debit amount is uncertain when the authorization is actually obtained.

For example, if an individual makes a gasoline purchase by swiping their check card or credit card at the gas pump without using their PIN, then the pump has no way of knowing how much gas will be used. The pump typically authorizes a fixed amount, usually $1 but sometimes up to $100, to verify that the card is legitimate and that the customer has funds available. When the transaction is settled, it will actually post for the value of the purchase.^[1]

Another example can be seen with a restaurant transaction. If an individual spends $40 at a meal, the server does not know how large a tip they will leave, if they choose to leave one on the card. The restaurant's credit card terminal is typically set to authorize a larger amount, such as 20% above the cost of the meal, but the transaction will settle for the actual total including the actual tip written on the receipt. Some restaurants will authorize just the amount of the bill but the transaction will settle higher with the tip included.

Other establishments that may settle transactions for different amounts than were originally authorized include hotels and car rental agencies. The final cost of these transactions can be extremely unpredictable due to unforeseen extras such as room service charges, refueling charges, or longer stays. These companies typically place a hold on the customer's credit card at the beginning of the transaction for the estimated total plus a percentage or a fixed dollar amount (such as the estimated rental charges plus 15% or $250 — a policy many customers are not aware of). These types of establishments usually do not settle the transactions until after the customer has checked out or returned the rental car. Some hotels and car rental agencies do not accept Visa or MasterCard-branded debit cards, as the authorization holds can expire before the transaction is settled. Additionally, some of these agencies use the requirement of a credit card as a tool to screen high-risk customers, as credit cards usually require a good credit history, while all that is needed for a debit card is a checking account.