Authorisation holds when you request a trip using the Uber app

In Australian cities that have upfront prices, Uber has introduced authorisation holds on some trip requests. Authorisation holds are placed on a rider’s credit card, debit card or PayPal account before the trip begins. We do this for some trips to confirm that a rider’s account has enough funds to complete the price.

When you enter your pickup and drop-off locations, you will be shown an upfront price for your trip. After you make a trip request, a hold will be placed on your credit card, debit card or PayPal account. The hold amount will be the same as your upfront price. This will show up as a ‘pending’ charge on your account that your bank will hold.

With upfront pricing, the trip price will be adjusted if estimated tolls/surcharges differ from actual, if your journey changes (for instance, you change your pick up or drop off location or make a detour), or if it takes much longer than estimated due to heavy traffic or other factors.

In these cases, the updated price will reflect the actual time, distance and other rates applicable in your city.

If your final price is less than the upfront price, the authorisation hold will generally be converted to the correct price amount. But your bank may show the original authorization amount as ‘pending’ for several days, depending on your bank’s policies.

In some instances where your final price is more than the upfront price, the authorisation may not be able to be converted into a charge. If that’s the case, we’ll advise your bank to void the authorisation and create a new charge. However, the original authorisation may still appear as ‘pending’ for several days, depending on your bank’s policies. If you would like to confirm a specific item on your statement, please contact your bank directly.

When the trip completes, this hold will generally be converted into a charge. The ‘pending’ amount on your bank statements will appear as a charge within 2 to 3 days, depending on your bank’s policies.

If the available account balance of your credit card, debit card or PayPal account linked to your rider account is lower than the upfront price, the authorisation hold will fail. You will need to choose a different payment method or add a new payment method to your Uber account in order to request a ride.

If you or your driver cancels, Uber will swiftly request that your bank removes the authorisation hold. The original authorisation hold should be removed from your account by your bank but this may take a few days, depending on your bank’s policies. In this time it may still appear as a ‘pending’ charge. If you would like to confirm a specific item on your statement, please contact your bank directly.

Cancellation fees for a trip request made using the Uber app may still apply in accordance with Uber’s cancellation policy.
More info here.