Introducing the Authorize-Hold feature

As we introduced Upfront Fares in Colombo, Uber has also introduced the authorize-hold feature to Uber users in Colombo. Our goal here is to confirm that a user’s account is active and available to fund their trips.

With this feature turned on, we ask processors to authorize and hold the upfront fare amount before the trip begins. Accordingly, when a rider requests for an Uber ride, we will hold the Upfront Fare amount to authorize the the rider’s chosen payment method. Depending on the bank, riders might receive a SMS notifying the authorization. Please note that this is only a pending charge which the banks hold and which is only converted to a full charge after the trip completes. Your card is debited when your trip is completed. You can also check your bank statement to ensure the final charge is correct.

Please note: If sufficient funds are unavailable in a rider’s chosen payment method, the trip request will be denied. Once you’ve switched to another valid payment method or to cash, you can then request for your ride. If the trip is cancelled, the pre-authorisation on your card is cancelled. Depending on the bank, this could take from a few minutes to a few days for the void authorisation to disappear from your statement.

How does this work?

When you request for a ride, a temporary authorization hold is placed on your chosen payment method, for the upfront price of the trip. This will show up as a “pending” charge on your account. When the trip completes, this hold is converted to a charge for the final trip fare. Your bank may send you one or more SMS’ to notify you of both the hold and the actual charge.

If the trip has been cancelled or the total fare is different than the upfront price, the original authorization hold will disappear from your account. Depending on your bank, this could be from a matter of minutes to a few days.

What happens when a trip is cancelled?

If a rider cancels the trip, we will be void the authorization hold immediately. Depending on your bank’s policy on authorisation holds, this could take from a few minutes to a few days for the void authorizations to disappear from your statement.