Have you ever looked at your account balance and been surprised to see that it’s different than what you expected? If so, it’s likely because of a pending transaction. But what exactly is a pending transaction, and how does it differ from a posted transaction? Keep reading to find out (TLDR at the bottom).
A pending transaction is any transaction that has been authorized but has yet to be posted to your account. For example, let’s say you use your debit card to buy a new tablet for $500. The pending transaction will show up in your account immediately, but the funds won’t be transferred from your bank account to the tablet retailer until the transaction posts.
Once the transaction posts, it will be reflected in your account balance as a posted transaction. A posted transaction is a completed transaction that has been fully processed and appears on your account statement.
It’s important to remember that pending transactions can impact your available balance—the amount of money you have available to spend—even though they haven’t technically been posted to your account yet. For example, if you have a balance of $1,000 in your checking account and there are two pending transactions totaling $300, then your available balance would be $700. On the other hand, once those transactions post, they’ll no longer impact your available balance since they’ll be reflected in your current balance—which is the total amount of money you have in your account, including any transactions that haven’t cleared yet.
TLDR: A pending transaction is any transaction that has been authorized but has yet to be posted to your account. Pending transactions can impact your available balance (the amount of money you have available).
A posted transaction is a completed transaction that has been fully processed. Once those transactions post, they’ll no longer impact your available balance since they’ll be reflected in your current balance (the total amount of money you have in your account).
Armed with this knowledge, you can rest assured that you’re always aware of how much money you have available at any given time! If you have more questions, let us know!
FAQs
Pending and posted transactions
What is the difference between posted and pending transactions? ›
Some institutions may post multiple times in a day or post live, so it is important to understand how your institution works. During posting, “pending" transactions that have been received throughout the day and are ready to be settled (paid) will become “posted."
What does it mean if a transaction is posted? ›
A posted transaction is a completed transaction that has been fully processed. Once those transactions post, they'll no longer impact your available balance since they'll be reflected in your current balance (the total amount of money you have in your account).
Is a pending transaction already paid? ›
A pending transaction on your bank account means your bank is processing a purchase you made, a bill you paid, or a deposit that's heading your way, but it hasn't been completed yet. Either the payment hasn't been sent to the vendor yet or the incoming funds haven't cleared, although they are in process.
Can a transaction be pending and posted at the same time? ›
Once the transaction has been approved by the card network and issuing bank, it will be recorded on the cardholder's account as pending. In some cases, it may post right away, in which case the transaction date and the post date will be the same. However the post date is often a day or more after the transaction date.
How long does it take for a transaction to go from pending to posted? ›
A credit card transaction is generally pending for one to five business days. Bank of America says a pending transaction on debit cards can take three to five business days to post. The time depends, to some extent, on how the debit card is used.
Why does my check say posted but not available? ›
Your bank may hold the funds according to its funds availability policy. Or it may have placed an exception hold on the deposit. If the bank has placed a hold on the deposit, the bank generally should provide you with written notice of the hold.
Why is a transaction both pending and posted? ›
A transaction begins its life as a pending transaction, then becomes posted once the funds have actually been transferred. It typically takes about one to five business days for a transaction to move from pending to posted, although it can take up to fourteen days in rare situations.
What does pending transactions to be posted mean? ›
You might see your balance, recent transactions and upcoming payments. Chances are, you may also see things like purchases and payments marked as “pending.” These are your pending transactions. A pending transaction hasn't been fully posted to an account yet.
Can a posted transaction be returned? ›
Yes, in some cases a bank can reverse a payment after it has been posted.
The pending status provides a temporary snapshot of the transaction's progress before it's finalized and appears as a cleared transaction on the account statement.
How long does a transaction sit in pending? ›
A charge can be pending on your account for up to five days. There are several factors that affect how long a pending charge will appear on your credit card. These include when you made the transaction and how long it takes the merchant to process it. Card pre-authorizations may also show on your account for longer.
What is the difference between posted and available? ›
The amount of money in your checking account — the money available at the start of the business day, which does not include any pending withdrawals or deposits — is typically called a current posted balance. The cash available for immediate withdrawal from your checking account is typically called an available balance.
How long does it take for a transaction to post on debit card? ›
When you use your personal identification number (PIN) to perform an ATM transaction or point-of-sale (POS) transaction, they will generally post to your account immediately. If you elect “Credit” and then sign for a POS transaction, it will usually post to your account within a few days.
What is posted and non posted transactions? ›
So, Memory Write and Message transactions are posted transactions. In non-posted transactions, the Requester sends the TLP packet to the Completer, and the Completer will send the completion TLP packets back to the Requester either with data or without data depending on the request sent to the Completer.
