Quick Summary:
- Expect a pending preauthorisation hold, not a completed card charge.
- Your available credit drops immediately, even while the hold is pending.
- Holds are placed at pick-up to cover extras, tolls, or damage.
- Check your credit limit, card name match, and leave buffer.
When you pick up a rental vehicle, you may notice a transaction appear in your online banking that looks like a charge, even though you have not been billed yet. With Hola, the deposit is a credit-card-only hold, which means the rental partner requests a temporary authorisation on your card rather than taking funds as a normal purchase. For car hire in California, this is common practice, but it can still be confusing if you are watching your balances closely.
This guide explains what you are likely to see in your banking app, the difference between pending and posted transactions, why the hold is required at pick-up, and what you should check on your available credit before you fly.
What the deposit hold actually is
A deposit hold is a preauthorisation. The rental desk asks your card issuer to set aside a specific amount of your credit limit to cover potential costs that are not known at the start of the rental. The money is not transferred to the rental company at that moment. Instead, the issuer marks part of your credit line as unavailable until the hold is released or converted into a final charge.
In online banking this can show up with wording such as “pending”, “preauthorisation”, “authorisation only”, or “deposit”. Some banks list it under “pending transactions”, while others show it under “card authorisations”. The amount can also appear without a final receipt number, because it is not yet posted.
If you are collecting near the main hubs, the process will look the same whether you are arranging a vehicle via Hola at car hire at Los Angeles LAX or picking up further north at San Francisco SFO. The key point is that the deposit is a temporary block on credit, not an immediate purchase.
Pending vs posted: what you will see online
Most confusion comes from how banks present card activity. A pending transaction is an authorisation request that has been approved, but not yet settled. A posted transaction is settled and added to your statement as a completed charge.
Pending (authorisation) holds usually appear quickly, often within minutes of pick-up. They reduce available credit straight away, but they may not count as “spent” in the same way a posted transaction does. Some banking apps show a running “available balance” that already accounts for pending activity, which can make it feel like you have been charged even though nothing has posted.
Posted charges typically appear later, after the rental ends and the final amount is known. If the deposit hold is never used, it should be released rather than posted. If there are additional charges that need to be taken, the final amount is posted as a normal card transaction and the original hold may be released separately.
It is possible to see both at once for a short period. For example, your final rental charge may post, while the initial authorisation is still pending. This overlap can temporarily reduce your available credit more than expected. It normally resolves once the hold falls away.
Why the hold is needed at pick-up in California
The deposit hold exists to protect the rental company while you have the vehicle. At the counter, the rental partner cannot know in advance whether there will be extra costs at return, so they secure a credit buffer at the start.
Because the hold is taken at the moment you collect the vehicle, it is important to plan for it before you travel, not when you are already at the counter and pressed for time. Whether you are collecting at San Jose SJC or heading south for San Diego SAN, the logic is the same: the card must have enough available credit for both the rental costs and the authorisation hold.
How it affects your available credit and budgeting
The most practical impact is on your available credit, not your bank balance. With a credit-card-only deposit hold, the issuer reduces your available credit by the hold amount. If you are close to your limit, this can cause knock-on issues such as declined hotel deposits, restaurant tabs, or other travel-related preauthorisations.
To avoid surprises, check these items before you fly.
Your credit limit and current utilisation. If you already have a high balance, even a modest hold may push you near the limit. Aim for a comfortable buffer so other travel spending is not constrained.
Pending transactions already on your card. Hotels often place their own authorisation holds. If you see several pending items, your available credit may be lower than expected even if posted spending looks fine.
Multiple drivers and upgrades. If you change vehicle class, add a driver, or choose an upgrade, the rental partner may adjust the authorisation. In that case, you might see one hold reversed and a new hold created, or a larger authorisation placed.
When the hold is released, and why it can take time
After the car is returned and the rental is closed, the hold should be released if there are no additional charges. The timing depends mostly on your card issuer, not the rental desk. Some banks release holds quickly, while others keep the authorisation visible for several business days until it expires automatically.
If you are watching online banking, it helps to know that a hold can disappear without an obvious “refund”. That is normal, because a preauthorisation is not a posted payment. Instead, the pending item simply drops off and your available credit increases.
Weekend and bank-holiday processing can stretch timelines. If you need your credit line freed up for onward travel, plan an extra buffer rather than relying on the hold dropping immediately after drop-off.
What to do if the hold looks wrong in online banking
First, confirm whether you are looking at a pending authorisation or a posted transaction. If it is pending, it is generally not something your bank can “refund”, because it has not settled. If it is posted, it is a completed charge and should match your final receipt.
Next, check for duplicates. Sometimes you may see an initial authorisation replaced by an adjusted authorisation. In that case you may temporarily see two pending items, with one later falling away. This is often related to an extension, an upgrade, or a revised deposit amount.
If a pending hold remains visible long after return, confirm the rental has been closed, then speak to your card issuer about the authorisation status. Issuers can tell you whether the hold is still active, expired, or awaiting a settlement message.
FAQ
Why does the deposit look like a charge in my banking app? Many banks display preauthorisations in the same feed as normal spending. It is usually labelled pending or authorisation, and it reduces available credit without being a settled payment.
Will I earn points or rewards on the deposit hold? Typically no, because a hold is not a completed purchase. Rewards generally apply once a transaction posts as a final charge.
Can the hold be taken on a debit card instead? Hola’s deposit is credit-card-only, because authorisation holds work most reliably on credit cards and provide the required security for the rental partner.
Why did I see two deposit holds at the same time? This can happen if the authorisation is adjusted, for example after an extension or change at the desk. One hold should drop off once the replacement is confirmed.
How long should I wait before querying a hold that has not released? If the rental is closed and the hold remains well beyond several business days, contact your card issuer to ask whether the authorisation is still active or simply awaiting expiry.
