paymentnot sure this is the right forum but sometimes businesses can block/hold/reserve an amount on your credit card without actual money leaving my bank account (e.g. as a deposit). Do you know how much it usually cost the merchant to do so (if anything)?
The internet is full of advice on what to do to avoid this as a customer - but noone can tell me what it costs. Thank you in advance.
You’re referring to a pre-authorization on a credit card. There may some fees associated with the transaction but it’s all dependent on the payment processor and type of transaction (e.g. online, in-store, etc).
For example, Stripe does not charge a pre-auth fee: https://stripe.com/blog/auth-capture
More details about pre-authorization can be found here: https://www.merchant-accounts.ca/understanding-credit-card-pre-authorizations.php
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