A hotel deposit hold can reduce the money you can spend even when your room has already been paid for. The useful question is not simply “has the hotel refunded me?” It is whether you are looking at a pending authorisation, a completed charge or a separate refund. Each needs a different explanation and a different reference.
This guide helps you organise a deposit query without assuming every hotel, card issuer or country uses the same release period. A booking platform’s acceptance of your payment method does not prove that the property will accept it for incidentals at check-in.
Identify what the transaction actually shows
In its help centre, Revolut explains that a payment can change from pending to reverted when the merchant cancels it or does not claim it within the allotted time. That explanation concerns Revolut’s transaction states; another issuer may use different labels. Check the entry inside your own issuer’s app and ask which state applies.
A pending item is not the same thing as a posted purchase waiting for a refund. If the hotel says it has “released” a hold, ask whether it cancelled an authorisation or issued a refund against a completed charge. Record the answer rather than translating both actions into one vague promise.
A worked check-in example
Illustrative figures: a traveller has €900 available, a prepaid room and a €250 incidental hold. Available spending could fall to €650 while that hold remains active. If the final incidental bill is €40, the traveller should reconcile the €40 charge and the original €250 hold as distinct entries. This is a planning example, not a prediction of any issuer’s processing.
The risk is budgeting from the account’s headline balance and overlooking money reserved by merchants. Before arrival, confirm the deposit amount, card type, named-holder requirement and whether the deposit is an authorisation or an actual charge. Keep enough accessible funds outside that reservation to cover transport and food.
| Field to record | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Property and booking reference | Separates the hotel from the booking platform |
| Amount, currency and date of hold | Identifies the specific authorisation |
| Transaction state in issuer app | Distinguishes pending, posted and refunded items |
| Checkout bill and payment reference | Shows what was actually owed |
| Property’s release confirmation | Records the action and date, not a guessed deadline |
Ask a precise follow-up question
Use this enquiry: “For booking [reference], my card shows [amount and currency] as [state] from [date]. Was the original authorisation cancelled, or was a refund issued against a posted charge? Please provide the relevant confirmation or reference and the date of that action.” Send it through the hotel’s verified contact route.
If the hotel confirms its action but the entry remains unexplained, contact the issuer with that evidence. Ask what information it needs to investigate and which follow-up date is appropriate. Avoid repeatedly paying the same incidental bill while a first payment is still being clarified.
When the amount is disputed
A deposit-release query and a disagreement over minibar, cleaning or damage charges are separate issues. Request the itemised bill and preserve your checkout evidence. For a charge you did not authorise or recognise, contact the issuer promptly through its official fraud route; a merchant conversation should not postpone urgent reporting.
Before your next trip, compare the acceptance checks in our virtual and physical travel-card guide and the cost questions in our travel debit-card comparison. Keep deposit capacity separate from your daily spending budget.
Source and scope
Source checked on 7 October 2026: Revolut Spain: reverted card payments. The planning examples in this article are illustrative. Product terms, country rules and individual circumstances can change; use the relevant provider’s current instructions.
Illustrative featured photo: Neon Wang / Unsplash.