What is a pre-authorization hold?

A pre-authorization hold is a standard banking practice which places a temporary hold on funds when you add a payment method or request a trip with us. This allows the to confirm the payment method is valid and you have sufficient funds.

This is becoming common practice for all companies who accept digital payment.

We need to check that we can take payment from the credit/debit card attached to your account, so we have placed a temporary charge for the estimated fare on your card. No funds are debited / removed from your account.

What does this mean?

A temporary charge/hold (“pre-authorization”) means we have reserved the estimated fare amount to confirm your account can cover payment for fare.

iCab will release the temporary charge once the trip is completed, or the ride request is cancelled.

The actual charge for the fare will be applied to your account after you complete your ride.

How much is a pre-authorization hold?

Before a ride request is executed we will pre-authorize the estimated fare amount on the customer’s credit card based on the customer's destination.

Has it actually been taken from my account?

iCab is not charging your credit card. A pre-authorization is a security guarantee for payment only and isn’t actually debited from your account.

Does the pre-authorization hold apply to both debit and credit card?

The pre-authorization hold does apply to both debit and credit card.  

Important - Each bank handles pre-authorization differently, and may not release the reserved amount for several days.  

It may appear that you have been charged twice, but you have not been.  If the amount has not been released after 7 days, please contact your bank.

Please contact us if you have further questions on any of the above and our customer care team can assist you.