You received an email or notification saying a transaction was cancelled, and the held funds are back in your account. This article explains the most common causes and what to do next.
Symptoms
You received an email from Spendesk stating that your transaction was cancelled. The payment no longer appears as pending, and the previously held funds are available again in your account or on your card.
Causes and solutions
1. The merchant cancelled an authorization request
An authorization request is a temporary, one-time check some merchants make to verify your card is valid, before confirming the final charge. When the merchant cancels this request, Spendesk releases the held funds back to your account. The email you received simply confirms that the funds are available again.
Resolution: No action needed. Check your account balance to confirm the funds are back.
2. The merchant cancelled a failed authorization
If the authorization request failed, the merchant may decide not to proceed with the charge. It's the merchant's responsibility to cancel the transaction in this case. The funds are returned to your account shortly after.
Resolution: No action needed. If you still intend to make the purchase, contact the merchant to retry the payment.
3. You used a single-use virtual card on a marketplace with multiple merchants
Single-use virtual cards are designed for one merchant and one transaction. On marketplaces where several merchants share a single order (for example, a multi-seller online marketplace), the card gets charged and blocked by the first merchant. This prevents other merchants in the same order from receiving their share, and the full payment is often cancelled as a result.
Resolution:
Create a multi-use card instead of a single-use card for this type of purchase.
Set the monthly budget to cover the expected charge.
Retry the payment with the new multi-use card.
4. The banking provider cancelled a stuck authorization
Spendesk's banking providers can automatically cancel a transaction that stays in "authorized" status for too long without being finalized (cleared) by the merchant. When this happens, the provider releases the held funds back to your account. The exact time frame before cancellation depends on the banking provider and isn't fixed.
Resolution:
Contact the merchant to ask why the payment wasn't completed.
Confirm whether you need to redo the payment or whether another attempt already succeeded.
Check your Spendesk transaction list to make sure you haven't been charged twice.
When to contact support
Contact Spendesk support if:
The merchant confirms the payment went through, but your Spendesk account shows the transaction as cancelled.
The funds haven't returned to your account more than a few days after the cancellation email.
You suspect you were charged twice for the same purchase.
Include the transaction date, amount, merchant name, and a screenshot of the cancellation email when you reach out.
FAQs
How long does it take for cancelled funds to be available in my account?
Funds are typically released immediately, but timing can vary depending on your bank's processing time.
What should I do if the merchant claims the payment went through, but I see a cancellation in Spendesk?
Contact Spendesk support with the transaction details (date, amount, merchant name) for further investigation.