From the moment you make a purchase or tap on the online button to complete the transaction, you are authorizing your bank to release these funds to the merchant. It may take a little while for the merchant or company to collect these funds, in which case the funds will continue to be on hold until collected.
These pending credit or debit card authorization holds appear on your online statement, but they do not actually result in a charge until the transaction has been finalized.
If a charge is not authorized, it usually means that there is a problem with the bank account or that you are at, near, or over your credit limit.
How long does it take for an authorization to expire?
If your transaction does not go through and cannot be completed, these funds on hold will be released, thus rendering the balance available again. Since each bank has specific policies regarding the time required to release these funds, you might need to contact your card-issuing company to confirm the authorization holds or to check on the authorization status.
What does it mean when a payment is authorized?
Successful purchases may also show authorization holds in addition to the purchase. Should this occur, you will only be charged once, and the hold will disappear.