Some merchants like gas stations, hotels, and car rental companies may put a temporary authorization (auth) hold for a higher amount than the transactions you make with them. This allows these merchants to make sure you have enough money in your account before charging you.
| Example | Authorization |
|---|---|
| When you use your card at a gas pump ("pay at the pump") | The transaction may be authorized for an amount equal to $75.00 or more. If the card is declined, even though you have sufficient funds available, you should pay for your purchase inside with the cashier. |
| When you use your card at a hotel, a restaurant, for a car rental, or for similar purchases | The transaction may be authorized for the purchase amount plus an additional 20% or more to ensure there are sufficient funds available to cover tips or incidental expenses (e.g., damage deposit). |
Authorization holds appear in the View Transactions section of your Chime app, under Pending Transactions. Most authorization holds are released within seven (7) days, however, car rentals may take up to 30 days.
Note that in some rare instances, merchants may place multiple holds for differing amounts. Even if one is released or settled, the other hold should be treated as independent and will follow the same rules as conventional holds (most taking 7 days to release).
The authorization hold gets released when the merchant settles the final amount. Once this happens, your balance is updated immediately.
You can see how long an authorization hold is expected to last in your Chime app by tapping the transaction in View Transactions. If the hold isn’t released within the expected timeframe, contact us by chat using the Chime app or by phone at (844) 244-6363.