Key Takeaways
- “Temp Auth” is a hold to ensure fund coverage for orders, adjusted for final cost.
- Appears as pending, usually removed within 3-10 days, depending on your bank.
- Not a double charge; one is pending, the other final, both eventually reconcile.
- Contact Postmates via app, help page, or Twitter for charge issues or concerns.
What Is a “Temp Auth” Charge From Postmates?
A “Temp Auth” charge from Postmates is a temporary authorization hold placed on your bank account when you make an order, add a new payment method, or change your payment method within the app.
This hold ensures you have sufficient funds to cover your order, including any delivery fees, tips, or added items. The amount may vary, but it’s usually equal to or slightly higher than your order total to accommodate any changes.
This charge appears as pending and is removed without finalizing if your order is canceled or not fulfilled. Temporary charges typically disappear from your bank statement within 3-10 business days, but the exact timeframe can vary based on your bank.
If a new payment method is added, Postmates may place small charges to verify the card, which are removed once verified.
Why Does Postmates Charge Twice?
Postmates may appear to charge you twice when you notice a repeated charge on your bank statement, but in reality, this is not a double charge.
Typically, one charge is listed under confirmed transactions, while the other appears in the pending section.
This discrepancy occurs because pending charges can take longer to process and be removed than the actual charges. As a result, both the temporary (pending) and the actual charge show simultaneously.
However, after a few days, the bank usually processes the temporary charge fully, and only the actual charge remains visible on your statement.
Still Have Questions? Contact Uber Support
If you encounter issues with a Postmates temporary authorization charge, such as a significantly higher hold than your order cost or suspect fraudulent activity, you should contact Postmates directly for assistance.
Here’s how you can reach out to Postmates customer service, now owned by Uber but still operating as a separate app:
- Through the Postmates App: Navigate to “Account” > “Help” > “Help With an Order,” select your order and issue, or for account security concerns, go to “Account” > “Help” > “Account and Payments” > “Account Settings” > “I Think My Account Has Been Hacked” and provide the necessary details.
- Postmates Help Page: Visit the help page and follow similar steps as in the app for order-related or account issues.
- Phone Number: Although Postmates lacks a dedicated customer support number, you might try calling their main line at 888-815-7726, keeping in mind that success rates can vary.
- Social Media: Reach out to Postmates’ official support Twitter account (@Postmates_Help) or Uber’s (@Uber_Support) for both Uber and Uber Eats inquiries.
Using these methods, especially public outreach on Twitter or Facebook, can expedite the resolution process due to the public nature of your request.
Final Thoughts
Seeing a temporary charge from Postmates might be worrying, but it’s usually nothing to be concerned about.
If you’re a Postmates user and recently placed an order or added a new payment method, there’s nothing strange about a temporary hold. So have patience – it will go away in a few days.
