What are authorisations for transactions made using my Visa Debit card and how does this affect the funds in my account?
A merchant or other person involved in a transaction may obtain an authorisation for the transaction before the transaction is made. The authorisation is for the purpose of establishing that there are sufficient funds available in the account for the transaction. Once the authorisation is obtained, it will reduce the amount of available funds in your everyday bank account. If the purchase or other transaction is not completed, the amount of available funds in the account may continue to be reduced for up to six ANZ business days, after the authorisation is obtained. As an example, when you pre-order goods and services such as hotel bookings and car rentals the merchant is able to check if you have sufficient funds in your account. This is known as authorisation.
