A temporary hold on a Facebook payment method refers to when Facebook places a temporary authorization hold on a credit/debit card or other payment method associated with a Facebook account. This is done to verify that the payment method is valid before allowing certain transactions on the Facebook platform.
Why Would Facebook Place a Temporary Hold?
There are a few common reasons why Facebook may place a temporary authorization hold on a payment method:
- When setting up a new payment method on a Facebook account, Facebook will place a temporary $1 authorization hold to verify the card is valid.
- When purchasing ads on Facebook/Instagram, Facebook places a temporary hold equal to the total cost of the ad purchase to ensure funds are available.
- If running an ecommerce shop on Facebook, a hold may be placed during the initial setup to confirm the payment method can process order charges.
- When adding money to a Facebook Pay balance, a temporary hold is made to check the legitimacy of the card.
In most cases, the hold is temporary and lasts between 1-7 days before it is removed/drops off. The actual deduction from the account will not occur until the transaction is completed.
How Long Does the Hold Last?
The length of temporary authorization holds placed by Facebook can vary depending on the purpose:
- Holds for verification purposes when adding a new payment method are usually 1-3 days.
- Holds for ad purchases are about 3-7 days, to allow time for the ad order to process and bill.
- Holds for Facebook Pay or commerce purchases may last 1-5 days depending on the merchant.
In most cases, if the hold amount just shows as “pending” in the account history and has not been deducted after 5-7 days, it will be removed and reflect back as available funds.
Does the Hold Tie Up Available Credit/Balance?
Yes, while pending the hold amount can tie up some of the available credit or balance on the card/account until it clears. This means the customer won’t have access to the held funds during the temporary hold period. However, no actual deduction or charge takes place until the associated transaction completes.
For example, if Facebook places a $100 hold on a card for an upcoming ad purchase, that $100 may show as unavailable even though the ad order is still processing. Once the ad order bills and the $100 is actually deducted from the account, the hold will release.
Can I Remove or Speed Up Removal of the Hold?
There is no direct way to instantly remove a temporary authorization hold placed by Facebook. The hold will remain in a pending status for the standard period Facebook requires to validate transactions. However, there are a few things that can be done to possibly speed up the hold release process:
- Avoid making further transactions on Facebook until the hold clears, as additional activity can prolong the hold.
- Contact your card issuer/bank and request they try to expedite removing Facebook’s hold.
- Wait 5-7 days before expecting the held funds to become available again.
- Remove the payment method from your Facebook account to prevent future holds.
Can I Use a Different Payment Method to Avoid Holds?
If tied to a specific card, you can avoid temporary holds by Facebook by removing that payment method from your account and instead using a different card or payment option. While some payment options may still incur verification holds, this can prevent extended holds for larger purchases if a particular card is prone to long holds.
Some alternate payment ideas to potentially minimize holds include:
- PayPal – Can be used for Facebook/Instagram ads and commerce purchases.
- Debit card – May have shorter hold periods than credit cards.
- Prepaid card – Removes risk of tying up funds in a bank account.
However, to entirely prevent the possibility of holds, you would need to avoid storing any payment information in your Facebook account. Purchases would then need to be made manually each time by entering payment details.
Can a Hold Negatively Impact My Credit Score?
While pending on an account, temporary authorization holds by Facebook do not get reported to credit bureaus or factor into credit scoring models. As such, they should not positively or negatively impact a credit score.
Once the actual charge goes from “pending” to “posted” in the account, that’s when it may influence the credit score calculation if it affects the credit utilization ratio. But the hold itself simply ties up funds temporarily without credit reporting consequences.
Conclusion
In summary, a temporary hold by Facebook on a payment method is designed to validate funds for purchases and transactions on the Facebook/Instagram platforms. While the pending hold may seem concerning, it is simply a verification check that will eventually expire and free up the funds again. By understanding Facebook’s policy around holds, monitoring pending activity closely, and considering alternate payment methods, users can effectively manage these situations when they occur.