Special Transaction Scenarios

This section outlines some real-world transaction behaviors that may seem unexpected at first, especially in travel-related contexts like fuel, car rental, or airline bookings.


Amount Changes Between PENDING and CONFIRMED

In some cases, the amount of a transaction may change between the PENDING and CONFIRMED states.

This typically happens when a merchant blocks a higher amount initially — either as a deposit or because the final amount is not yet known — and confirms the transaction later with the actual amount.

Common examples include:

  • Fuel stations
  • Car rentals
  • Hotels

Example:

  • You see a transaction in PENDING state for €100.00.
  • Later, the same transaction transitions to CONFIRMED, but the amount changes to €86.34.

This is the same transaction record, just updated with the final settled amount.


Transactions Split After PENDING State

In other cases, a single PENDING transaction may transition to CONFIRMED with a reduced amount, and one or more CONFIRMED transactions are created for the rest.

This often occurs when you make a combined purchase (e.g., booking two airline tickets together), but the merchant decides to settle them as separate items.

Example:

  • You see a PENDING transaction for €510.00.
  • That transaction is later updated:
    • It transitions to CONFIRMED, now showing €255.00.
    • A second CONFIRMED transaction appears, also for €255.00.

This reflects the merchant's decision to split the payment after authorization — both parts represent a share of the original purchase.