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Why are pending transactions holding part of my balance?

A hold is placed on your available balance when you make a purchase. This hold remains until the merchant submits the final charge or the hold expires.

For online purchases, the retailer may keep your purchase in a pending state until your item(s) ship. For in-store purchases, some retailers process transactions in batches at the end of the day or over several days. Once the merchant completes the transaction, it will update to a posted status.

Certain transaction types — such as car rentals or hotel deposits — may remain on hold for an extended period to ensure sufficient funds are available for the final charge. If the merchant settles for a lesser amount or cancels the transaction, pre-authorized holds can take up to 10 days (or up to 30 days for car rentals) to be released back to your available balance. If the merchant does not settle, the hold will expire and funds will be returned to your available balance after the maximum hold period.

If you believe funds have been on hold longer than expected, contact the merchant directly to request an early release. 

Car rental companies and hotels routinely place a pre-authorization hold on your available balance at the time of booking or check-in. This hold is used to reserve funds that may be needed to cover the estimated or final transaction amount — including potential incidentals, fuel charges, or extended stay fees — before the actual total is known.

Example — Car Rental: A cardholder rents a vehicle and the rental company places a $350 hold on their Green Dot card at pickup to cover the estimated rental cost. The cardholder returns the car and the final charge is $275. The $275 posts as a settled transaction, but the remaining $75 difference may remain on hold for up to 30 days before being released back to the cardholder's available balance, unless the merchant releases it sooner.

Example — Hotel: A cardholder checks into a hotel that places a $200 hold for a one-night stay plus incidentals. The final bill is $180. The $180 posts upon checkout, and the remaining $20 hold may take up to 10 days to be released back to the available balance if the merchant does not proactively release it.

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