Why was I charged twice?

With N26, you get real-time access to your bank account. This means you’re able to see what’s going on in your account as it happens. There are two main transaction types that take place during an in-store or online purchase:

  • Authorizations. A block or reserved amount made by a retailer or merchant. This includes anything from your morning cup of coffee to hotel or car rental bookings (including security deposits).
  • Presentments. The actual amount that is deducted from your account. Again, that cup of coffee is finally cleared from your account or you can get your security deposit back once you’ve checked out of that hotel room or returned your rental car safe and sound.

Once an authorization has been confirmed, we can’t cancel or reverse it. At that point, only three things can happen to your authorization: it turns into a presentment, it's rejected, or it expires. In the last two scenarios, your money will automatically return to your account within 12 days. 

Sometimes you’ll see both payments at the same time–the authorization and the presentment. This happens if they become disconnected, or due to technical issues at the payment terminal. Eventually the authorization will expire, and if it doesn’t expire within 12 days, we can help you get your money back. 

Please note:

  • Car rental deposits may need up to 30 days to return to your account (instead of 12).
  • Some merchants perform verification authorizations (usually very small amounts) in order to check whether your card is active and not empty. This money will always return to your account.

The amount of an authorization may differ from the final presentment for a variety of reasons.