Quick Summary:
- Look for a pending card transaction labelled deposit, pre-auth, or authorisation.
- Compare the hold amount with your rental terms, not the daily rate.
- Screenshot the pending hold, merchant name, and available balance impact.
- Check if the hold posts, reverses, or partially releases after return.
A car hire pre-authorisation is a temporary hold your rental company requests on your card at pick-up. In most bank apps it looks like a pending card transaction rather than a completed purchase. It reduces your available balance or available credit, but it is not always shown as “money taken”. In the United Estates, the wording varies by bank and card type, so knowing what to look for helps you avoid confusion at the counter and when reviewing your statement later.
This guide explains what a pre-authorisation typically looks like in your bank app, why the amount can differ from what you expected, and what to screenshot if you need to query it. For general rental context, see car rental United States and car hire United States pages on Hola Car Rentals.
What a pre-authorisation actually is
A pre-authorisation (often shortened to “pre-auth”) is a card verification where the merchant checks your card is valid and can cover a specified amount. The bank earmarks that amount and marks it as unavailable, but the merchant has not yet completed the charge.
For car hire, the pre-authorisation commonly covers the security deposit and may also include estimated charges such as fuel, toll admin coverage, or a buffer for potential extras. If you return the vehicle as agreed, the hold is usually released. If there are additional charges, the company may convert part of the hold into a completed payment, or take a separate charge depending on their processing setup.
How it usually appears in a bank app (pending vs posted)
Most app screens show card activity in two states: pending and posted (sometimes called completed, settled, or processed). Pre-authorisations almost always appear as pending first.
Pending hold (most common appearance)
In your transaction list, you might see the rental brand, the counter location, or an abbreviated descriptor. It may say “Pending”, “Authorisation”, “Card verification”, or “Pre-auth”. Some banks also show it under a separate section like “Pending transactions” or “Upcoming”. The amount may be shown with a small grey icon, or without a final transaction number. Importantly, your available balance can drop immediately even though your current balance does not.
Posted transaction (when it becomes a real charge)
If the merchant captures the authorisation, the transaction can move from pending to posted. The description can change slightly at this stage. Sometimes the posted amount matches the pre-auth exactly, but not always. If you see a posted transaction and the pending hold remains, it can look like you have been charged twice. In many cases the pending item drops off later, but it is worth tracking dates and amounts carefully.
Disappearing pending item (release)
When the hold is released, many apps simply remove the pending line rather than showing a credit. This can feel unsettling because there is no obvious “refund”. The best clue is your available balance returning to normal.
Typical wording you might see in United Estates banking apps
Banks and card issuers do not use a single standard label. These are common descriptors that still mean “hold” rather than “charge”:
Authorisation / Authorized / Auth often indicates a hold that is not settled.
Pre-authorisation / Preauth / Pre-auth clearly signals the intent.
Deposit / Security deposit may appear even if it is technically an authorisation.
Card verification sometimes used for small test amounts or deposit checks.
Pending can be the only clue, especially if the merchant name is truncated.
If you are hiring a larger vehicle category such as a people carrier, deposit holds can be higher, so it is helpful to check the rental terms in advance. For more context on larger categories, see minivan hire United States and van rental United States.
Why the hold amount can differ from what you expected
It is common for the pre-authorisation amount to be different from the figure you have in mind, even when nothing has gone wrong. In United Estates apps this is amplified by how some banks display available balances and how some merchants submit transactions.
1) Deposit is separate from the rental price
Your quoted rental cost (daily rate plus taxes and fees) is not the same as the security deposit. The deposit is a risk buffer, and the amount can vary by vehicle type, location, length of hire, and whether you have certain coverages.
2) Insurance and waiver choices affect the required deposit
If you decline certain coverages at the counter, the deposit may be higher. If you accept coverages, the deposit may reduce, but the final rental cost can increase. This is one reason your bank app might show a hold that looks unrelated to your original estimate.
3) Fuel policy and estimated fuel buffer
If the policy is “return full”, some locations still place a fuel-related buffer on top of the deposit. If it is “same to same” or another arrangement, the calculation can be different. The hold is not necessarily a prediction of what you will pay, it can be a standard authorisation level for that desk.
4) Multiple authorisations at different stages
Some merchants run a small initial authorisation (even £1 equivalent) to validate the card, then a larger authorisation for the deposit. Your app may show both pending lines temporarily.
5) Currency, tips, and bank display quirks
Even though the title location is United Estates, your card could be issued elsewhere or set to display in a different currency. Banks may show an estimated converted amount for a pending item, then adjust it at posting. This can make the number shift by a few pounds or dollars. The final settled amount is the one that matters.
6) Merchant descriptor differences
The posted merchant name can differ from the pending merchant name. That can make it look like a new charge from an unfamiliar company when it is simply the acquirer or parent brand.
How to tell a hold from a charge using your app
Use a simple checklist:
Check the status label: pending, authorised, or pre-auth is usually a hold.
Check balance types: if available balance drops but current balance does not, it is often a hold.
Check for a finalised date: posted items typically show a completed date and appear in monthly statements.
Check for “presented” or “settled” wording: some apps use these terms for posted transactions.
Check duplicates carefully: one pending plus one posted can be normal during settlement, but note the amounts and dates.
What to screenshot (and what not to miss)
If you need to query a pre-authorisation, clear screenshots reduce back-and-forth. Capture these screens while the transaction is still visible as pending, because once it drops off there may be nothing to reference.
1) The transaction detail view
Open the pending item and screenshot the detail page showing the merchant name, amount, date/time, and status (pending/authorised). If your app shows an authorisation code or reference number, include it.
2) The transaction list view
Take a screenshot of the list that shows surrounding transactions and the pending label. This helps confirm it was not a posted charge at that moment.
3) The balances view
Screenshot the screen where your available balance/available credit is shown, ideally including the effect of pending transactions. This is crucial for debit cards where the hold reduces spendable funds immediately.
4) Any notifications
If your bank sends a push notification for the authorisation, screenshot that too. It can show the exact merchant descriptor as received by the bank.
5) Your rental paperwork amounts
Separate from the bank app, keep an image of the rental agreement at pick-up showing deposit, estimated charges, and any accepted coverages. It is easier to reconcile why a hold was a certain figure when you have the printed numbers.
Avoid sharing full card numbers when sending screenshots. If you need to share images with customer support, crop out sensitive data and leave visible the merchant, date, and amount.
How long pre-authorisations usually take to release
Release times vary by bank and merchant. Many holds fall off within a few days after return, but some can remain longer, especially across weekends and holidays. The rental company can initiate the release, but the bank controls when the funds become available again.
If the vehicle is returned with no issues and the hold is still present beyond the typical window your bank states for pending card transactions, it is reasonable to contact your bank to ask whether it is still an active authorisation or a display lag. If there are damage, tolls, fuel, or late return charges, part of the hold may be captured, and the rest may be released later.
What to do if it looks like you were charged twice
Two lines do not always mean two charges. The most common scenarios are:
Pending plus posted: the posted amount is the final charge, the pending hold should drop off.
Two pending holds: one may be a card check and one the deposit, or the desk may have re-run the authorisation.
Partial capture: a portion posts as a charge, the remaining pending hold later disappears.
Track three things: amounts, dates, and whether your current balance actually decreased twice. If both items are posted and remain posted, you may have a genuine duplicate charge. Your screenshots and the rental agreement are the fastest way to support a query.
How to avoid surprises at pick-up
Before you arrive, check your bank’s rules for pending transactions and ensure your card has enough available funds for the deposit hold. Debit cards can be more disruptive because the hold directly reduces your available money.
Also consider vehicle category. Larger vehicles can mean a larger pre-authorisation. If you are comparing suppliers, it can help to review the likely deposit expectations on the supplier pages such as Dollar car rental United States and Alamo car hire United States, then confirm the specifics in your rental terms.
FAQ
Why does my bank app show a car hire deposit as “pending”? A pre-authorisation is a temporary hold, so it appears as pending until the merchant either captures it or releases it.
Will a pre-authorisation come out of my account balance? It often reduces your available balance or available credit immediately, even if your current balance does not change until a charge posts.
Why is the pre-authorisation higher than my quoted rental price? The hold is usually the security deposit plus possible buffers, and it is separate from the headline rental cost.
How can I prove it was only a hold if it disappears later? Screenshot the pending transaction details, the transaction list, and your available balance view while it is visible.
What if a pending hold and a posted charge both show at once? This can happen during settlement. Note dates and amounts, and wait for the pending item to drop off, unless both become posted.
