How Long Does a Failed Transaction Stay Pending

If you’ve paid for a product or service using a card machine or an online payment method, you may notice the payment still hasn’t cleared after several days. 

A pending transaction is a temporary hold on funds during the payment authorisation process. Even failed transactions can appear as pending until the hold is removed.

While not a major issue, pending transactions can reduce your available balance and cause confusion until they are resolved. In the following sections, we explore how long does a failed transaction stay pending before it’s fully processed or cancelled. 

What Happens During a Pending Transaction?

Unlike cleared transactions, a pending transaction goes through several stages. 

During the first stage, the merchant requests approval from your bank or card issuer to process the payment via a payment processor. With debit card payments, the money is placed on hold but not withdrawn from your account. For credit card payments, the hold reduces your available credit.

While on hold, the money cannot be used to make other payments, even if you see them as available in your account balance. 

If the transaction is successful, the hold clears and the funds are transferred to the merchant. However, if the transaction fails, the hold on your funds remains until the bank or payment processor confirms the status of the transaction. 

For failed transactions, the hold is released after a set period, restoring your available balance. Pending transactions can also appear with card purchases, refunds, and direct deposits.

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Factors Affecting Pending Transaction Duration

The time a failed transaction stays pending varies, usually lasting from a few hours to a few days. 

There are several factors that affect the duration of a pending transaction:

• Bank policies – different banks have varying timelines for releasing pending holds on failed transactions, although the typical duration spans from 1 to 7 business days for most.
  
• Merchant policies – merchants can void or cancel a pending transaction, speeding up the hold release. For example, online retailers usually release holds faster for failed or cancelled orders.
  
• Payment method – the payment method you’ve used can also dictate how long it will take for a pending transaction to be cleared or resolved. Credit cards pending holds often resolve for up to three days, while debit cards can have longer holds.
  
• Transaction type – transactions that involve large payment amounts or international payments can take much longer to process. 

Another important factor is the type of pending transaction. For instance, it could be an online purchase, pre-authorisation, refunds, direct deposits, pay-at-the-pump gas purchases, in-store purchases, and more.

How long does it take for pending transactions to clear based on the transaction type?

In most cases, credit card payments take only one to three business days to clear, but can also take longer for travel or rental holds. 

At the same time, direct deposits can take up to five days, while checks are considered among the slowest transaction types, with up to seven days for clearing.

Wire transfers are usually very quick and can take only a few hours or up to two business days. 

Common Reasons for Failed Transactions Remaining Pending

Failed transactions remain pending for several reasons: 

• Insufficient funds or credit limit reached – transactions could fail due to no available funds, but can still appear as pending on your online banking log until the bank verifies the hold. 

• Providing incorrect payment details and giving the wrong card number, CVV, or billing address – merchant delays can also be a reason for pending transactions. This is because merchants usually take time to confirm the transaction and perform verification checks to prevent fraud. 

• System errors and timeouts are also not excluded. Technical issues between the payment processor and the bank can leave transactions in a pending stage. 

This being said, pending failures often reveal pressure points in the payment chain. Each stalled transaction is a signal: of verification friction, risk controls, or system-level latency. Examining these incidents closely is an opportunity to expose inefficiencies and improve the reliability of the transaction flow itself.

How to Resolve Pending Failed Transactions

What can you do if you notice that you have a pending transaction on your online banking’s transaction list?

The exact process can vary depending on the type of transaction, your bank, and other factors. However, there are a few standard steps that we recommend taking.

Before taking any action, wait for the hold to expire. Most pending transactions automatically clear within the banks’ specified timeframe. 

If the problem is still not resolved, you can contact the retailer or merchant directly. If they have cancelled the transaction or if the order has failed, ask that they void or release the pending hold. You can get the right contact details by simply typing in the retailer’s name in a search engine and locating the right information on the company website.  

Alternatively, you can reach out to your bank or card issuer. Your bank will be able to confirm the transaction status and, in some cases, manually release the funds sooner. 

Remember to check your online or mobile banking to track whether the pending transactions have been cleared to ensure our funds are released. 

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Preventing Prolonged Pending Transactions

The good news is that you can also take measures to prevent pending payments before they even happen.

You can do this by:

• Double-checking your payment details - ensure your card numbers, expiration dates, CVV codes, and billing addresses are entered correctly.
  
• Avoiding multiple attempts - try not to repeatedly attempt the same transaction, as this can cause multiple pending holds and longer duration times.
  
• Communicating with merchants - confirm the cancellation policies and refund procedures with merchants before placing large orders.
  
• Using reliable payment methods - where possible, opt for credit cards for large purchases or international payments, as they have faster resolution times compared to other alternatives. 

By taking these preventive measures, you can rest assured that you have a realistic overview of the available funds you have in your bank account.

When to Seek Support

If a pending transaction lasts longer than seven business days, contact your bank or card issuer for assistance. Also, if you notice duplicate pending transitions, report them to your bank for investigation and quicker resolution. 

Most importantly, monitor your transactions for any unauthorised payments and contact your bank as soon as possible to protect your account. 

Conclusion

Overall, pending transactions usually take between 1 and 7 business days to clear, depending on the type of transaction, the bank you’re using, and other factors. 

Make sure that you’re actively monitoring your transactions and take the necessary measures we discussed in this article to see your funds released quickly. 

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