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Originally Posted by rowan
I still don't get it. I've finished my dinner, I have the bill in my hand and I'm paying on the way out. It's a fixed, known amount. Why would they need to do a pre-auth when the transaction is approved on the spot?
My card was only swiped once.
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From the FAQ at ePassporte
https://www.epassporte.com/secure/ep...q=faq#extopic4
# I paid for a meal at a restaurant with my ePassporte card. The authorization on my account for my meal purchase is different than the amount I spent. Why is this?
When you purchase a meal at a restaurant with your ePassporte Visa Electron card, you transaction is authorized for the amount of the meal plus an extra amount (to allow for a potential gratuity). These authorizations are removed from your account when the merchant settles the actual amount spent at the restaurant, usually in 7 to 10 days.
# My restaurant purchase was declined and I know I had more money in my ePassporte account than the amount of the bill. Why did this happen?
Transactions that take place at restaurants are authorized for the amount of the meal purchase plus 20% to ensure that you have sufficient funds in your account to pay for the purchase amount plus a tip. This is necessary as the merchant does not know the total amount of the transaction until you add your tip (which occurs after the transaction is authorized) and ePassporte does not know the total amount of the transaction until that time.