Why is my card showing a higher amount than my actual payment?

Some merchants, especially gas stations, hotels, and car rentals, first reserve a temporary amount on your card to make sure there is enough balance before they complete the final charge.

This is called a pre-authorization or authorization hold.

Once the merchant finalizes the transaction and confirms the final amount, the transaction is settled for the actual amount spent, and any difference is released back to the card balance.

The held amount is usually released within around 7 business days, but it can take up to 30 days depending on the merchant and the card network process.

For example, you may only fill fuel for €20, but the gas station charges €100 on your card. In this case, you will see a €100 transaction in your card transaction history, even though you only spent €20, The extra €80 is temporarily held by the merchant.

 A few days later, once the gas station finalizes the transaction, the same transaction will be updated from €100 to €20 automatically, and the held €80 will be released back to your card balance.