A pre-authorization hold is a temporary reservation of funds on your Relay card that a merchant places to verify you have enough money to cover a purchase before the final amount is known.
Who this article is for
Owners who see a pending charge on their Relay card that looks larger than expected
Anyone paying at a gas pump, hotel front desk, car rental counter, or airline check-in
Cardholders wondering why an amount is locked when they have not been officially charged
Why merchants place pre-authorization holds
Merchants use pre-authorization holds when the final purchase amount is not known at the moment you tap or swipe your card. Gas stations do not know how many gallons you will pump. Hotels do not know what you will add to your room. Car rental companies and airlines set aside a buffer for incidentals or upgrades.
A pre-authorization hold reserves funds in your account so the merchant knows the money is there when the final transaction settles. No money moves out of your account during the hold itself.
How a pre-authorization hold works on your Relay card
The merchant sends an authorization request when you present your card at the point of sale.
Your Relay account reserves the estimated amount as a pending transaction, which reduces your available balance.
The merchant finalizes the purchase and submits the actual amount to be settled.
The pending hold clears and the real charge posts to your Relay account.
Settlement usually happens within a few hours of the purchase. In some cases it takes longer, especially with hotels and car rentals where the hold can sit for several days before the final bill is submitted.
How long a pre-authorization hold stays on your account
Most holds clear within a few hours to a few business days once the merchant submits the final transaction. If the merchant never submits a final amount, the hold falls off automatically within 30 days.
The merchant and their payment processor control both the release and the settlement. Relay cannot shorten that window or force a hold to drop early.
What Relay can and cannot do about a hold
What Relay can do:
Show you every pending hold and posted transaction inside your Relay account
Confirm whether a specific amount is currently held or has settled
Explain the difference between your available balance and your running balance
What Relay cannot do:
Release a hold before the merchant does
Convert a pending hold into a posted transaction on your behalf
Contact the merchant on your behalf to shorten the hold window
What to do if a pre-authorization hold is still there after several days
Reach out to the merchant directly and ask them to manually release the authorization. Merchants can call their payment processor to remove a hold at any time, and this is almost always faster than waiting on the automatic 30-day drop-off.
If the merchant confirms they have released the hold and it still shows on your Relay account 24 hours later, contact our Customer Experience team so we can review the authorization on our end.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the pre-authorization hold larger than what I actually spent?
Merchants often reserve more than the expected purchase to cover incidentals. Gas stations typically hold $75-$150 regardless of how much fuel you pump. Hotels add an estimated amount per night for room service or damage. The extra amount releases once the final transaction settles.
Does a pre-authorization hold count as a real charge?
No. A hold reduces your available balance but does not move money out of your account. Only the final settled transaction posts as a real charge. You can see holds separately from posted transactions in your Relay account.
Can Relay speed up the release of a pre-authorization hold?
No. The merchant and their payment processor manage both the hold and the final settlement. Relay cannot end a hold earlier than the merchant initiates its release.
What if the merchant says they released the hold but I still see it on my Relay account?
Wait 24 hours after the merchant confirms release. Payment processor delays can add a day. If the hold persists, contact our Customer Experience team with the transaction details and the merchant's release confirmation.
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