Is it possible to stop a debit card payment

If you have a debit card backed by Visa or Mastercard, you may have other benefits that can help if you eventually get billed for a purchase that wasn't as described or never arrived. A pending transaction can ultimately cause such issues as rejected future purchases and overdraft fees. So, you may want to take some steps to avoid dealing with certain unwanted or unauthorized pending transactions.

For example, you can avoid the issue of a large and lengthy pre-authorization hold on your debit card at a gas station if you go inside and prepay the amount of gas you want. If another place like a hotel or restaurant may put a hold to estimate your eventual charge , you can ask about limits on that amount and any alternatives available. You may also consider using another payment method at such places if possible.

On the other hand, you can take advantage of your bank's services such as overdraft protection if you worry that a pending transaction might post and cause you to overdraw your account. Your bank likely also has fraud detection tools like account alerts and card locks that can quickly spot unauthorized pending transactions , lead to an investigation and help prevent them from impacting your account balance.

Personal Finance Credit Cards. By Ashley Donohoe Updated June 14, You can cancel a pending transaction on a debit card. Basics of Pending Debit Transactions. Some banks and credit unions may offer you an online form. Even if you have not revoked your authorization with the company, you can stop an automatic payment from being charged to your account by giving your bank a "stop payment order".

This instructs your bank to stop allowing the company to take payments from your account. Click here for a sample "stop payment order. Tell your bank or credit union right away if you see a payment that you did not allow authorize or a payment that was made after you revoked authorization.

Federal law gives you the right to dispute and get your money back for any unauthorized transfers from your account, as long as you tell your bank in time. Be aware that banks commonly charge a fee for executing a stop payment order. Further, cancelling your automatic payment does not cancel your contract with the company. If you want to cancel a contract for a service, like cable or a gym, be sure to cancel your contract with the company as well as telling it to stop automatic payments.

If you cancel an automatic payment on a loan, you still have to make payments on that loan. If your dispute is accepted, the temporary credit will become permanent. If your dispute is denied, the temporary credit is reversed. Since Matt McGew has provided content for on and offline businesses and publications. Share It. Tell the customer service representative that you would like to dispute a transaction. Accessed Oct. Federal Trade Commission. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

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