What You Should Know About Pending Transactions
4 Min Read | Published: April 16, 2024
This article contains general information and is not intended to provide information that is specific to American Express products and services. Similar products and services offered by different companies will have different features and you should always read about product details before acquiring any financial product.
Pending transactions are authorized charges that haven’t been fully processed yet. Learn how long pending transactions typically take to process.
At-A-Glance
- A pending transaction means that a transaction is yet to be fully processed.
- Credit card purchases may typically post within three days but may take up to 30 days in some cases.
- While you may use your credit card or bank account while a transaction is pending, they’ll count towards your available funds.
At first, pending transactions may seem confusing. The good news is they’re simple to understand and typically no cause for concern. Below, we’ll uncover what a pending transaction means, how long they take to process, and how it may affect your balance.
What Does a Pending Transaction Mean?
A pending transaction refers to a charge or purchase that has been approved but hasn’t been fully processed yet.1 Let’s say you use your credit card to pay for a bill at a restaurant or buy some clothes online. If you check your account, you’ll find that these transactions immediately show up as “pending.” This means that you’ve committed to making them, but the funds are still moving between accounts.
How Long Do Pending Transactions Take?
Pending transactions typically post within two to three business days, but this can vary. Some transactions may post immediately, or take up to 30 days.2 Factors like the bank or credit card issuer, payment network, and the type of transaction will impact this time frame.
Here are some examples of when pending transactions may post:
- Credit card purchases: Typically, they will post within 3 days, but may take up to 30 days.3
- Cash deposits into a bank account: Typically, they will post by the next business day.4
- Check transactions: May post the same day but could take two to seven business days.5
Keep in mind that holidays and weekends can lead to delays in transaction approvals as they are only processed on business days. Also, more extensive transactions, such as airfare and hotel accommodations that often come with extra fees and charges can take longer to clear than simple transactions at a local coffee shop, for example.
Do Pending Transactions Impact Your Balance?
You can expect a pending transaction to put a hold on your credit limit or account balance until it gets processed. While you may still use your credit card or bank account, the pending transaction will affect the funds available to you. It’s important to note that if you use online or mobile banking, pending transactions may not always be included in your current balance. If this is the case, you might want to keep your own records of them.
Did you know?
As soon as a pending transaction is processed, it turns into a posted transaction, which will be shown in your available balance and monthly statement.
Frequently Asked Questions
If the purchase you’ve attempted to make exceeds the funds available, your bank or credit card company may decline a pending transaction.
Typically, you can’t cancel a pending transaction. However, if you decide you no longer want to move forward with a purchase, you may reach out to the retailer to ask if they can cancel your order, provide a refund, or offer store credit.
Pending credit card transactions can temporarily reduce your available credit limit, but they typically don’t accrue interest and are not included in your card’s current balance until they are finalized.6
The Takeaway
A pending transaction means a purchase has been authorized and is currently being processed. You may still use your credit card or bank account while a transaction is pending but the funds available to you may be limited.
1,2,3,4,5 “What Is a Pending Transaction?,” Experian
6 “How to cancel a pending credit card transaction,” Bankrate
Anna Baluch is a personal finance writer from Cleveland, OH. She enjoys helping people from all walks of life make smart financial decisions. Her work can be seen on Credit Karma, Forbes, LendingTree, Insurify, and many other publications. Connect with Anna on LinkedIn.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
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