Quick Summary:
- A pre-authorisation is a temporary hold, not an actual card payment.
- The hold can reduce available funds, even if your balance looks fine.
- Hold amounts vary by vehicle, insurer options, age, and return location.
- Avoid pick-up declines by using a valid credit card and matching details.
When you collect a car hire in Florida, the rental desk will usually request a deposit pre-authorisation on your payment card. This is one of the most common points of confusion for travellers, because it looks like money has been taken, yet you will not receive a “paid” receipt for it. Understanding what is happening, what you will see on your card statement, and what can cause a decline at the counter can help you collect the vehicle smoothly.
In simple terms, a pre-authorisation is a temporary permission for the car hire company to ringfence an amount on your card. It is not a completed purchase. The money is not transferred to the rental company at that moment, but it can still reduce the funds you can spend, depending on the card type and how your bank shows pending transactions.
What a pre-authorisation is, and how it differs from a charge
A card charge is a completed transaction. The merchant captures funds, your bank posts the payment, and it becomes part of your account history as a settled amount. A pre-authorisation is different. The merchant checks that the card is valid and that credit is available, then places a hold for a set amount. Your bank marks that amount as unavailable, but it remains in your account until either the hold expires or the merchant converts part or all of it into a final charge.
With car hire, the pre-authorisation exists to protect the supplier if extra costs are owed after you drive away. Common examples include fuel differences, toll charges, late returns, traffic fines administration fees, or damage not covered by the product you selected. The hold also helps reduce fraud risk by confirming the main driver has an eligible payment method.
When you return the vehicle, the supplier calculates the final bill. If nothing additional is owed and you already paid rental charges in advance, the hold is released. If you do owe something, the supplier may charge the relevant amount and then release any remaining held funds. Depending on the bank, you might briefly see both a final charge and a pending hold during the changeover.
What you will see on your card in the US
On most online banking apps, a pre-authorisation appears as “pending”, “authorisation”, or “merchant pre-auth”. Some banks show it as if it were a purchase, which is why it can feel like you have been charged twice when the rental cost posts separately. The key is the status. Pending items can change or disappear, while settled items remain.
In Florida, it is also common to see the merchant name as the brand at the counter, the airport concession name, or a local processing entity. If you are collecting at a busy location, such as Fort Lauderdale Airport, the descriptor can differ slightly from the brand you booked, because of the way payments are routed at airport terminals.
After the vehicle is returned and checked in, the hold release time is mainly controlled by your bank, not the rental desk. Some banks remove holds within 24 to 72 hours. Others can take up to 7 to 10 business days, and in rare cases longer. Weekends and public holidays can slow the visible release even if the supplier has already processed it.
Why deposit hold amounts vary so much
The amount held is not universal. It is calculated based on supplier policy and your rental specifics. Even within Florida, two otherwise similar bookings can produce different holds. The most common factors are below.
Vehicle category and value. Larger or premium vehicles often carry a higher hold because replacement and repair costs are higher. An SUV collected at a high-demand location such as Orlando may have a different deposit policy than a compact car at a city branch.
Insurance and protection selections. Some products reduce the deposit requirement, because the supplier’s risk exposure is lower. Other options can increase the hold, particularly where a higher excess could apply. The exact effect depends on the supplier and product rules.
Driver age and licence history. Younger drivers or those meeting specific criteria may see higher deposit requirements. Florida locations are used to international travellers, but the supplier’s underwriting rules still apply.
One-way rentals and return location. If you collect in one city and return in another, the risk of additional fees can be higher. The deposit can be adjusted to account for this. For example, a coastal collect and inland return could be treated differently from a same-branch rental.
Local charges and toll programmes. Florida has extensive toll roads. Some suppliers enrol the vehicle in a toll programme that later bills toll usage and service charges. That can influence how much they want available on the card at pick-up.
How a hold reduces your available balance, even without a “charge”
This is where travellers get caught out. A pre-authorisation can reduce your available credit on a credit card, and it can reduce the spendable funds on a debit card. Even if your account balance looks healthy, your bank may ringfence the held amount, which can cause other payments to fail or create an overdraft risk.
Example in practice, if your card has £1,000 available and the supplier places an authorisation equivalent to £300, you now have £700 available for other spending until the hold is released. If you then try to cover accommodation, meals, and park tickets, you might hit your limit unexpectedly. This matters in Florida where family travel costs can be high, especially around Orlando.
Some banks also apply different rules for offline or travel industry transactions, which can temporarily lower what you can spend even further. It is wise to assume the hold will be “real” for your day-to-day budget until it disappears from pending transactions.
Common reasons a card gets declined at pick-up
A decline at the counter is usually not about the rental desk trying again, it is about eligibility and bank rules. The most frequent causes include:
Insufficient available credit. Your card might have enough total limit, but not enough available after other pending transactions, hotel deposits, or recent large purchases.
Name mismatch. The main driver typically needs to present a card in their own name. If the booking is in one name and the cardholder is another person, the supplier may refuse it.
Debit card restrictions. Some locations accept debit cards only under stricter conditions, and some do not accept them at all for certain vehicle groups. Even when accepted, debit holds can be larger and funds can take longer to return.
Prepaid or virtual cards. Many suppliers will not accept prepaid cards for the deposit. Some also restrict certain virtual card numbers. If you rely on a digital wallet, carry the physical card too.
Bank fraud blocks. A US authorisation placed in Florida can trigger anti-fraud rules if your bank is not expecting travel spending. The first attempt may fail even though the card is genuine.
Multiple authorisations. If a previous hold from another merchant is still pending, the combined effect can push you over your limit. Hotel incidental deposits are a common culprit.
How to avoid problems and keep the pick-up process smooth
The goal is to arrive at the rental desk with a card that is eligible, has enough available funds, and matches the booking details. These steps reduce the risk of a decline.
Use a credit card in the main driver’s name. This is the simplest way to meet typical car hire deposit rules. If you plan to pay the rental cost with one card but use another for the deposit, check whether the supplier allows it.
Leave headroom above the expected deposit. Plan for the hold plus extra buffer. Travel spending in Florida can include hotel incidentals and attraction deposits, so avoid running your card close to its limit before pick-up.
Tell your bank you are travelling. Some banks no longer require travel notifications, but it can still help. At a minimum, ensure your bank has your current mobile number so you can approve a transaction if prompted.
Carry a backup payment method. A second credit card can save a lot of stress if the first is blocked. Keep it separate from your wallet if possible.
Check collection location specifics. Airport locations can have tighter rules, and city branches can differ too. If you are collecting in a central neighbourhood, such as Brickell, verify which card types are acceptable for your vehicle category and dates.
What happens when the final bill is taken
At the end of the rental, there are three typical outcomes:
No additional charges. The supplier releases the authorisation and you see the pending item disappear. There is no further payment taken, beyond any rental cost already paid.
Additional charges apply. The supplier charges the relevant amount. In some cases this is captured from the original pre-authorisation. In other cases it is processed as a separate transaction, and the hold is released afterwards.
Partial capture and release. The supplier captures only what is owed, then releases the remainder. Your banking app may show both until the bank updates the ledger.
If you want a clearer timeline, ask at drop-off whether the vehicle has been checked in and whether the deposit has been released in their system. It will not instantly return your available balance, but it confirms the supplier has done their part.
Florida-specific charges that can affect deposits and end-of-rental billing
Florida rentals often involve toll roads, airport surcharges, and high turnover at busy branches. These factors do not necessarily increase the deposit every time, but they can influence what the supplier wants available on the card.
Tolls are the biggest surprise for many visitors. Even if you pay some tolls yourself, others may be billed later. If your itinerary includes extensive driving, such as between Tampa and Orlando, keep some financial headroom until tolls have settled. If you are collecting near the Gulf Coast, policies may differ by supplier, for example at Tampa.
Airport concessions can also change how transactions are labelled. You might see an airport-related descriptor for the deposit even when the vehicle is from a well-known brand. If you collect at a smaller local airport branch, such as Coral Gables, the posting name may differ again.
How to read your statement and reconcile holds later
If you want to keep your accounts tidy, take a screenshot of the pending authorisation at pick-up, and keep your rental agreement email. When the hold disappears, compare dates and amounts to confirm it was released rather than captured.
If a hold remains for longer than your bank’s usual timeframe, start by contacting your bank and asking whether the authorisation is still active. If the bank says it is active, the merchant may not have released it yet, and you can then query the supplier with your agreement number. If the bank says it has expired, the pending line may simply be a display lag in your app.
Also note that currency conversion can make amounts look inconsistent for UK cardholders. The supplier may authorise in US dollars, while your bank shows an estimated sterling amount that changes slightly with exchange rates until the transaction is finalised or cancelled.
FAQ
Why does the deposit look like I have been charged twice? You may see a pending pre-authorisation and a separate settled rental payment. The pending item should drop off once the vehicle is returned and the hold is released.
How long does a Florida car hire pre-authorisation take to disappear? Often 1 to 7 days, but it depends on your bank. Some banks can take up to 10 business days to remove pending holds after the supplier releases them.
Can I use a debit card for the deposit? Sometimes, but acceptance rules vary by supplier and location, and holds on debit cards reduce spendable funds directly. A credit card in the main driver’s name is usually the smoothest option.
What if my card is declined at the counter? First check available credit and whether your bank has blocked the transaction. A backup credit card, matching the main driver’s name, can help you proceed without changing plans.
Will tolls and fines come out of the deposit? Not always. Some charges are billed after the rental once they are reported. Keep an eye on your statement for a few weeks, and retain your rental paperwork for reference.
