When you pay with your Altitude Card, the merchant first authorizes an amount, and that full amount goes on hold against your card account balance. Only the final settled amount is ever taken from your balance – the rest of the hold is released.
How a hold works
Authorization: the merchant requests an amount and the full amount goes on hold. It reduces your Spendable balance and the card's spending limit right away.
Settlement: the merchant completes the charge, usually the next business day (T+1). Only this final amount is debited.
Release: any difference between the hold and the final charge is released back to your balance and limit. You are never charged twice.
While a hold is open, the purchase shows as Pending in your card transactions and the amount appears as On hold in your Spendable balance breakdown. See Track card transactions.
Hotels, car rentals and other deposits
Hotels and car rentals usually pre-authorize an estimated total or a deposit up front – often well above the final bill – and it stays on hold for the length of the stay or rental. Some merchants also increase the hold along the way (an incremental authorization).
Example: a rental desk authorizes a $500 deposit and the final bill is $300. $300 settles, and the $200 difference is released when the merchant completes the charge.
Tip: Plan for the full hold. The held amount can't be spent on anything else while the hold is open, so deposit enough to cover the full pre-authorization – not just the bill you expect to pay. See Add and withdraw card funds.
How long holds last
Scenario | What happens |
Everyday purchases | Settle the next business day (T+1) and the hold is replaced by the final charge. |
Hotel and car rental holds | Often stay open for the length of the stay or rental – up to around 30 days. |
Merchant never completes the charge | The hold expires and the full amount returns to your balance. |
Holds and spending limits
An open authorization counts against the card's spending limit from the moment it is approved – it reduces what the card has left before anything settles.
If a hold is partially reversed or expires, the unused amount is restored to both your balance and the limit. Nothing is counted twice when the final charge settles.
The per authorization limit is checked against the amount the merchant authorizes, not the final bill: a $500 rental deposit needs a per authorization limit of at least $500. See Set and edit spending limits.
Why merchants see a credit card
Altitude Cards present to merchants as Visa credit cards at checkout – useful at hotel and rental desks that treat credit and debit cards differently – but they always spend from your prefunded card account balance. There is no credit line.
Note: If a hold hasn't released long after checkout or return, contact the merchant first – they control when the charge is completed. If it still doesn't clear, contact support with the merchant name, amount and date.