If your rental deposit still appears on your card, first find out whether it is a pending authorization or a completed charge. The operator releases an unused authorization; a completed payment needs a refund if money must be returned. Those events follow different paths.
This guide helps guests trace their own deposit. Rental operators choosing software can use the guest-payment software comparison.
Match the card entry with the merchant record
| What you see | What to ask the operator | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Pending or reserved | Is the authorization still active, released or expired? | Money may never have settled to the operator |
| Completed payment | Was the deposit captured, and what amount? | Ask for the itemized basis and any refund record |
| Operator says released | When was the authorization canceled and what is its reference? | The bank still controls the visible balance update |
| Operator says refunded | What amount was refunded, when, and with which tracking reference? | A credit for an earlier completed charge is being returned |
Card labels vary by bank. A debit-card authorization can reduce spendable balance even though it is not a settled payment. Stripe explains authorization and expiry; no single duration applies to every rental transaction.
Collect these details before contacting the bank
- Rental or booking reference, business name and contact details.
- Amount, currency and authorization or payment date.
- Whether the entry is pending or completed.
- Merchant-confirmed release or refund timestamp.
- Provider transaction reference and, for a refund, any available tracking reference.
- Last four card digits only when needed to identify the payment securely.
Keep full card numbers and security codes out of ordinary email. Ask the operator for the applicable provider/bank estimate instead of relying on a universal “seven days” or “28 days” statement.
Message to the operator
“Please confirm the status of the [amount/currency] security deposit for [booking reference]. My bank shows [pending/completed]. Was it released, captured or refunded? Please provide the amount, event date and provider reference. If any amount was captured, please send the itemized explanation under our agreed terms.”
If the operator has confirmed release, give the bank the authorization reference and ask when it will update available funds. If it was a completed charge followed by a refund, ask about that refund using its own reference. A disagreement about a deduction is separate from tracing a bank posting.
Example: €400 reserved, €90 captured
In this fictional example, the operator documents €90 of agreed costs and makes a final partial capture in PayRequest's current Stripe flow. €90 becomes a charge and the unused €310 authorization is released. That is not a €310 refund of a €400 completed payment. A bank may display the transition differently, so compare the provider records with the card entries.
If no amount is owed, the operator can release all €400. If the authorization has expired, it cannot be captured; the operator must resolve any genuine amount owed through another appropriate, agreed route. Renewal is not a way to revive an expired hold.
For the rental operator
Send a release/capture notice with the booking reference, amount and timestamp. Finish inspection before the actual authorization deadline, using the planning calculator. Keep supported evidence for any deduction. Never promise that the customer's bank balance will update instantly.
The PayRequest deposit workflow provides the merchant's authorization and final settlement steps. Your guest should not need an account with your software just to understand whether the deposit was reserved, captured or released.
*Method: materially reviewed on 31 October 2026. The example and contact checklist are original; no individual transaction or bank posting has been tested. Prepared with AI assistance and editorial review.*
