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HausMoney™: How long will a Pre-Authorization Hold last?

Pre-Authorization holds temporarily lock funds for purchases. They typically last 1-7 days but can be longer for things like hotels.

Andres Arevalo avatar
Written by Andres Arevalo
Updated yesterday

The length of authorization held on a charge card typically depends on the merchant. An authorization hold is a temporary lock on funds after a transaction is approved but before the merchant finalizes the payment.

Standard Authorization Hold Durations:

General Purchases: 1-7 days

Hotels and Car Rentals: Up to 30 days (common for travel-related holds)

Gas Stations & Pay-at-the-Pump: Usually a few hours to a few days

How It Works:

  1. Transaction Initiation: When a cardholder makes a purchase, the merchant requests authorization.

  2. Hold Placement: The issuer approves and places a hold on the transaction amount.

  3. Payment Settlement: The merchant finalizes the transaction, releases the hold, and charges the card.

If the transaction isn’t completed, the authorization hold typically expires, and the funds are released back to the cardholder.

Still have questions? Contact your HausMoney Charge Card customer support at support@upwardli.zendesk.com or 1 (888) 789-1482

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