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Original poster

£99 taken out of bank for £20 petrol Asda

127 replies

hellsbells9 · 03/08/2022 15:06

I put £20 in my car on Friday at Asda pay at pump. I know it says something about authorizing £99, however ever since then the £99 has been taken out my bank (it's in pending transactions but the money has still been taken and I'm unable to use it) as well as the separate £20 transaction. This has never happened before and I'm getting concerned now. I don't use this very often so not sure how exactly it works but I really need that £99 now to pay bills and I can't have it just sat pending. Anyone know more about this or what I can do? Is it worth contacting bank?

OP posts:
LilacPoppy · 03/08/2022 16:54

It's perfectly normal most supermarkets do this , it's not actually been taken it's just not currently in your available balance. Best to get a credit card for the future.

andrew16 · 03/08/2022 16:54

Pay at Pump transactions have two stages. A pre-authorisation, and then the settlement. The pre-authorisation puts a hold on a pre-determined amount of money. This signals to your bank that this money needs to be unusable until the second stage has completed, settlement. In the second stage the retailer confirms with your bank the final amount, your account is debited and the hold removed.

Sometimes, glitches can happen where the authorisation step happens twice. This second authorisation is not settled and is referred to as a hanging authorisation. This hold will eventually expire, and the length of time when that will happen is determined by your bank. It is usually between 8 and 30 days. Usually nearer the former, and sometimes shorter. Your bank should be able to tell you how long a pending authorisation is held.

The reason your bank is saying you need to get the retailer to confirm before they will remove it early is because all your bank can see is the authorisation. Even though you have another transaction completed with the same retailer on your account, there’s no way for your bank to know that the second authorisation isn’t for a legitimate second transaction that will be settled later.

Sometimes these glitches happen, but rest assured you’ll get your money back.

tulips27 · 03/08/2022 16:54

Asda do something similar with online grocery shopping as I recall. Pre-authorise the amount or something? I don't remember exactly.

Dreamwhisper · 03/08/2022 16:55

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Just leave her alone man wtf?

Sounds really stressful OP Sad

I don't drive but this would cripple me tbh. What happens btw if you don't have £99 in your account? Does it just not go through or does it show as a negative balance?

dementedpixie · 03/08/2022 16:56

LilacPoppy · 03/08/2022 16:54

It's perfectly normal most supermarkets do this , it's not actually been taken it's just not currently in your available balance. Best to get a credit card for the future.

This isn't helpful either as not everyone is eligible for a credit card

MNHQ
LivMumsnet · 03/08/2022 16:56

Afternoon all. Can we just pop our heads round the door and remind folk that Mumsnet is here to help make parents' lives easier. The OP has explained that even if the money is 'only' pending, it's still inaccessible until it's dropped out of pending; something that can make the difference if you're already running short.

Tensions are clearly running high on the thread, from more than one direction. We'd like to encourage a bit more peace, love and understanding please if the thread is going to continue. Times are hard for many right now.

OP, we're going to move your thread over to Money Matters now as there are lots of wise folk on there who may be able to offer you some guidance and we hope things get easier for you soon.

Thanks. Flowers

Glittertwins · 03/08/2022 16:56

This was in the news a few months back but went quite quiet. We got caught in France where this has been going on a lot longer and for more money than £99. We couldn't understand why our card was rejected at dinner that night as I knew there was well over the bill amount left but I hadn't realised quite how much had been ring fenced by the petrol station. Just as well we had a credit card with us although we got stung by the commission charges.

MichelleScarn · 03/08/2022 17:12

Dreamwhisper · 03/08/2022 16:55

Just leave her alone man wtf?

Sounds really stressful OP Sad

I don't drive but this would cripple me tbh. What happens btw if you don't have £99 in your account? Does it just not go through or does it show as a negative balance?

Show quote history

Quite right @Dreamwhisper don't understand the absolute nastiness that some portray especially the use of 🤣 to some who is stressed!

Blue2021 · 03/08/2022 17:15

I have this also at the moment. So annoying at the £99 is my food money for the rest of the month 😩😩

Original poster
hellsbells9 · 03/08/2022 17:17

Asda have been a nightmare, they've just passed me round from pillar to post I've spoke to 5 different people now all of which have been no help and just passed me round. Feel so stressed with it now and not even sure where to go from here

OP posts:
Xiaoxiong · 03/08/2022 17:19

Do you have Twitter OP? Sometimes tweeting at the official Asda account can get their attention.

noirchatsdeux · 03/08/2022 17:20

It's not down to Asda or any of the other supermarkets on how long the pending authorisation 'drops off' and the pending funds are released back to the balance...it's down to Visa.

I've had it happen a few times - not for petrol, I don't drive - but if I've placed an order and then cancelled it. I was told by my bank the last time it happened it can take up to 10 working days for the Visa authorisation to 'drop off'...they always advise me to contact the company and ask them to 'release' the authorisation earlier but that rarely ever happens.

JanePrentiss · 03/08/2022 17:23

Asda can remove the authorisation as the merchant but very very very few merchants do this.... Your bank likely can remove the authorisation manually, however they're not often wanting to do tjis in case a debit is later passed by the retailer and it lulls the customer into a false sense of security.

Op apologies just glanced through thread but if it3still there ring your bank and ask many times and persevere that a card skilled staff member xan manually take off the auth.

Original poster
hellsbells9 · 03/08/2022 17:23

Xiaoxiong · 03/08/2022 17:19

Do you have Twitter OP? Sometimes tweeting at the official Asda account can get their attention.

I don't unfortunately, I'm pretty useless with social media

OP posts:
FAQs · 03/08/2022 17:27

@hellsbells9 my largest localish supermarket is an Asda and it’s always corrected itself at the end of the day! I hope you get it sorted.

FAQs · 03/08/2022 17:28
  • same day
Hugasauras · 03/08/2022 17:30

Gads, is it open day at the tosser farm?

Whether it's 'taken' or not, OP is unable to spend it while it remains pending and £99 is a lot of money to be unable to access for five days when you might need it for frivolous luxuries like food and bills. It's shit, OP, someone needs to get their finger out.

MLMsuperfan · 03/08/2022 17:39

Shit isn't it? I had a huge bill for car repairs double charged; the bank wouldn't do anything because they were both Pending and I'd have to wait untill it settled before they'd reverse it. But it stayed Pending for over a week.

userxx · 03/08/2022 17:44

Same happened to my boyfriend, he's on day 3. It's not good enough.

What would happen if you didn't have an extra £99 in your account, would you still be able to fill up.

Original poster
hellsbells9 · 03/08/2022 17:51

Right so Asda obviously can't do anything I've gave up with that after spending hours trying to get someone to help me. Don't even know what else I can do 😩

OP posts:
Original poster
hellsbells9 · 03/08/2022 17:52

userxx · 03/08/2022 17:44

Same happened to my boyfriend, he's on day 3. It's not good enough.

What would happen if you didn't have an extra £99 in your account, would you still be able to fill up.

It's incredibly frustrating, never again. Lesson well and truly learnt! I think you can still fill up, not sure exactly how it works but I have put £20 in with only about £30 in my account.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 03/08/2022 17:56

Maybe try the bank again
Maybe they can offer a temporary overdraft

userxx · 03/08/2022 17:57

MLMsuperfan · 03/08/2022 17:39

Shit isn't it? I had a huge bill for car repairs double charged; the bank wouldn't do anything because they were both Pending and I'd have to wait untill it settled before they'd reverse it. But it stayed Pending for over a week.

Same happened to me in the pub, I was double charged. I think it took 14 days before it unpended itself..... pretty sure that's not a word but you get my drift.

Original poster
hellsbells9 · 03/08/2022 18:01

userxx · 03/08/2022 17:44

Same happened to my boyfriend, he's on day 3. It's not good enough.

What would happen if you didn't have an extra £99 in your account, would you still be able to fill up.

Did he fill up at Asda last Friday by any chance? Bank have just told me there has been a lot of problems with this same issue from the 29th and they are looking into it. On hold again

OP posts:
userxx · 03/08/2022 18:09

Pretty sure it was Sunday, so the 31st. Goes to show why holding only £1 was a better idea.