What does pending mean on your bank account

A pending deposit is money that has been deposited, but not yet authorized for release. Pending deposits show on your account so that you are aware that the actual deposit is processing and forthcoming. Each pending deposit comes with a release date from the company/individual making the deposit into your account. On the release date those funds will be available for your use.

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What is a Pending Balance?

Your pending balance may not always match the available balance in your bank account, because it takes into account any transactions that may not have fully cleared. A pending balance often occurs when you use your debit card – your bank is aware of the transaction, but the merchant may not submit the charge for payment until the end of the business day, leaving it in a pending status.

What Causes Pending Charges?

The most common causes of a pending charge in your bank account are:

  • Tips on a restaurant bill: Your bank is aware that your card was charged for the original cost of the meal, but the tip has not yet been processed.
  • Holds on your account for hotel rooms or rental cars: These companies may hold several hundred dollars against your account as a version of collateral in case there is damage to the car or room service charges against the hotel room. If no damage occurs, the money is released.

Does a Pending Balance Include All Pending Transactions?

The short answer is no. There are several types of transactions that may be pending in your account that do not show in your pending balance until they have successfully cleared. For example, written checks that haven’t yet been deposited by the recipient and automatic payments scheduled to be taken from your account will not be reflected in your pending balance.

What is a Pending Balance? in Vancouver WA

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When you use your debit card without entering your PIN, the amount of the transaction is placed on hold in your account until the transaction is processed. During this holding time, usually 2-4 days, the amount will show as a pending debit. Once the transaction is processed, the hold is released and the funds are withdrawn from the account.

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All information provided through this site is intended to be accurate. However, there may be inaccuracies from time to time which we will make every attempt to correct immediately.

Some payments, cash withdrawals or deposits appear as pending on your account until a transaction is fully processed. This can cause some confusion – you may think a payment hasn’t been successful, or you’ve been charged for something twice.

Here's some information to help you understand pending transactions, and the steps you can take to raise a dispute if something doesn't look right.

What is a pending transaction?

When a transaction is authorised, it's 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.

Where is a pending transaction deducted from?

Pending transaction amounts are deducted from your available funds, not your account balance. If you want to know how much money you really have in your account, look at your available funds.

How long does a pending transaction take to process?

Pending transactions generally take 3 to 5 business days to process. Although some can take up to 10 business days.

If you let a merchant use your card for pre-authorised payments (like a security deposit for a hotel booking or car hire), you can expect to wait up to 7 days for your payments to be credited back to you.

Pending and complete transactions

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

For example, you order 4 items costing $25 each and the merchant asks us to authorise a $100 payment. This appears as a pending transaction. One of the items is ready for delivery before the other three, so the merchant completes that $25 transaction. You’ll see $25 deducted from your account balance, while $75 stays as pending.

Sometimes, the amount processed to your card may be different to the amount of the authorisation. This is called an outstanding authorisation and will appear as a pending transaction. Read more on this.

What to do if you don’t recognise a transaction

If you don’t recognise a transaction, check if it's:

  • A purchase made by an additional cardholder
  • From a business who trades under a different name from the one shown in your transaction history. A quick Google search can often help identify the merchant.
  • A pending transaction (a payment already deducted from your available balance, but still being processed)
  • A conversion rate applied to an international purchase
  • A regular membership or subscription fee

If it’s none of the above, we can help you dispute a transaction.

You need to wait until the transaction is complete and no longer a pending transaction if you want to dispute it.

Are pending transactions already deducted from account?

A quick Google search can often help identify the merchant. A pending transaction (a payment already deducted from your available balance, but still being processed)

Does pending mean it went through?

What's a pending transaction? Pending transactions are transactions that haven't been fully processed yet. For example, if you make a purchase with a debit card or credit card, it will almost always show as pending immediately when you view your account online or in a mobile banking app.

Does pending mean you have the money?

A pending deposit is money that has been deposited, but not yet authorized for release. Pending deposits show on your account so that you are aware that the actual deposit is processing and forthcoming. Each pending deposit comes with a release date from the company/individual making the deposit into your account.

How long does it take for a pending transaction to go through?

Usually, a pending charge will show on your account until the transaction is processed and the funds are transferred to the merchant. This could typically take up to three days but may stretch longer depending on the merchant and the type of transaction.