How Do Pending Transactions Work? | NatWest (2024)

FAQs

How Do Pending Transactions Work? | NatWest? ›

Pending transactions are transactions you have made with your debit card which are waiting to be deducted from your account. The merchant normally tells us about your transaction as soon as it happens and we set aside those funds by taking them off your balance to make sure you don't spend the money again.

A pending transaction is an approved debit or credit to your bank account or credit card that hasn't been processed yet. Essentially, the money is still in transition from one bank to another. Pending transactions may include: Bank account deposits made by check, cash or direct deposit.

Pending transactions don't always affect your balance right away. Sometimes they change in amount. Sometimes they even disappear altogether. When you make a purchase, sometimes it'll show up as pending for a few minutes, hours, or even days.

2. What's a pending transaction? Pending transactions are transactions that haven't been fully processed yet. For example, if you make a purchase with a debit card or credit card, it will almost always show as pending immediately when you view your account online or in a mobile banking app.

A pending transaction is a recent authorised card transaction that is waiting to be processed by the merchant and can take up to 28 days but normally takes 2/3 days to clear onto your balance. Once a pending transaction has cleared, it will appear below in your list of cleared transactions.

Yes, a pending transaction can be declined. A pending transaction is a temporary hold placed on funds in an account, typically when a card is used to make a purchase or when a check is deposited. The hold ensures that the funds are available for the merchant to process the transaction.

Pending transactions generally take between one and five business days to clear. That time can vary based on the type of transaction, the payment network, and the bank or credit card issuer.

Until it processes, a pending transaction could put a hold on an account balance or credit limit. That doesn't necessarily mean you can't use your credit card or bank account. But it can affect your available balance—or the funds you're able to access.

There's no need to worry. It's simply a recent payment that you've made with a debit card or a credit card. You may have bought something in a shop or online. Either way, the word 'pending' shows that the payment is still being processed by the retailer and is waiting to leave your account.

In general, pending transactions can't be reversed or cancelled. Usually transactions stay pending on your account for up to 8 days, but can sometimes take up to 31 days (i.e. hotel & car rental deposits). Transactions are automatically reversed if the merchant does not collect the funds within this time.

Why does it say "pending but they took the money"? ›

Pending transactions occur for several reasons, but ultimately, it means you've authorized a third party to remove funds from your account. Generally, pending transactions should clear in a matter of days. But in rare cases, you may see a transaction take a little longer — usually when holds are involved.

Most transactions post at the end of each business day but posting order and times can vary. Business days for banks are generally Monday - Friday from 9am to 5pm, excluding federal holidays. Transactions received outside of these hours, including on weekends, are usually posted on the next business day.

Unfortunately, canceling a pending transaction isn't always simple. If you're trying to remove a hold or a pending transaction before it posts, you'll need to contact the merchant and ask them to remove the authorization. Once your transaction is finalized, however, you have more power in reversing the charge.

The basics of payment processing

Typically, they will mark it as pending payment (or payment pending). This means that they are ringfencing the account holder's funds on the expectation that they will need to make payment later. Once the payment request is presented, the bank will release the funds.

It's also common to see this when online shopping, as some merchants may hold off on processing the payment until your order has shipped, this includes international purchases too. Essentially, pending transactions mean the money has been committed to a specific purchase, but it's still moving between accounts.

Some banks perform 'credit checking' with a 'ghost charge'. This is in no way a real charge, but only a request to your bank to 'reserve' this amount of money. These ghost charges are sometimes visible on your online credit card statement.

You may have bought something in a shop or online. Either way, the word 'pending' shows that the payment is still being processed by the retailer and is waiting to leave your account. It means your bank has approved the payment, but the retailer needs to finish collecting it.

Until it processes, a pending transaction could put a hold on an account balance or credit limit. That doesn't necessarily mean you can't use your credit card or bank account. But it can affect your available balance—or the funds you're able to access.

Unlike your statement balance, which is fixed at the end of the billing cycle, your current balance is a real-time total of all charges, interest, credits and payments on your account. Your current balance could change each time your card is used. But pending transactions aren't included until they post.