CompassPC®
Frequently Asked Questions
About CompassPC
Why do I see a pending transaction amount that does not equal a purchase I made?
Let's review the authorization process that takes place when you use a debit or credit card to make a purchase:
- When a debit or credit card is used to make a purchase, the merchant verifies the credit available on the card by "swiping" the card for a purchase amount and waiting for an electronic authorization of that amount.
- If the exact amount of the purchase is known when the card is "swiped," that amount is authorized. This happens when you use a card at the grocery store. The cashier totals your items, swipes your card, and the exact purchase amount is authorized against your card.
- This authorized amount reduces the available balance of your account and appears as a pending transaction until it is actually posted against your account.
- Sometimes the final purchase amount is unknown when the purchase is authorized. This often happens at a gas station. Your card is swiped before you pump your gas and is authorized up to a certain amount, for example $50. In this case, $50 shows as a pending transaction until the actual purchase amount posts to your account. If the actual amount of the gasoline purchase is $41, then $41 is the amount that will post against your account. It is not unusual for a merchant to request an authorization for as low as $1.
