# What do Pending and Settled mean?

> Will I get this money back      Pending transactions also referred to as authorization holds preauths or auths are a way for the merchant to ensure that y

Source: https://koho.kustomer.help/en_us/what-do-pending-and-settled-mean-SkV1noq8x

Last updated: 2026-04-29T16:45:16.242Z

### **Will I get this money back?**

  

Pending transactions (also referred to as authorization holds, pre-auths, or auths) are a way for the merchant to ensure that you have enough funds in your account to complete the purchase. The merchant puts a hold on those funds and can either complete the transaction by collecting the funds or allow the pending transaction to expire, in which case, the funds will be returned to your account 💰

  

When the merchant collects the funds, the amount that was "**pending**" is then marked as "**settled**" and the merchant receives the funds. This will complete this transaction 💸

  

If the merchant fails to collect the payment, the transaction will instead **expire\*** and return to your KOHO account in approximately 7-10 days for most purchases (_and 16 days for hotel reservations, Airbnbs, and car rentals_).

  

You can check the pending/settled status of a transaction in-app by selecting the specific transaction in your Activity Feed.

  

**_\*We are unfortunately unable to manually expire transactions from our side or expedite this process. Please wait until the 7-10 day timeframe (or 16 day timeframe for car rentals, hotels, and Airbnbs) has expired for the funds to return._** 

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## Why can’t I dispute or report fraud on a pending transaction?

  

A transaction can only be disputed once it’s settled.

While it’s still pending, the final amount can change and the payment hasn’t officially gone through yet—so there’s nothing to dispute at that stage.

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## What should I do if I don’t recognize a pending transaction?

  

If you suspect fraud, you don’t need to wait.

You can secure your account right away:

*   Go to the transaction
*   Tap the three dots (…) labeled **More**
*   Select **Report an issue**
*   Choose **“I neither authorized or participated in this purchase, I suspect fraud”**
*   Follow the steps to secure your account

When you do this, we:

*   Lock your card immediately to prevent further charges
*   Place the transaction under review (typically **2–7 business days**)
*   Start a fraud investigation
*   Keep you updated by email and in-app notifications

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## When can I submit a dispute?

  

Once the transaction moves from **Pending → Settled**, we’ll notify you and you’ll see an **“Action required”** message in the transaction details.

At that point, you can:

*   Tap **Submit report** to file your dispute
*   Or select **No longer an issue** if you don’t want to continue