When is a store suppose to charge you?

[Edge17]

are online stores suppose to request authorization on your credit card before they ship, or when they recieve the order?

Just wondering, because a store requested authorization for my card. Its for the Cowboy Bebop box set, which won't be released until Nov. 20, so it won't ship until atleast then. Do they need to get authorization before, or is that something they're suppose to do when they ship?

Their shipping policy states that they won't charge you till the order ships.

 

[gopunk]

read their policy carefully, there may be something about a difference in policy for pre-orders. but other than that, whatever their policy says is what they'll do. or should do.

 

[Edge17]

heres what it reads:

When do you charge my credit card?
Your credit card will not be charged until your order has left our warehouse. Should your order include a Backorder or Pre-Release, you will not be charged for these until the item actually ships. Shipping charges are billed to your card at the time of the initial shipment. Charges to your credit card will appear as nTunes.com.

 

[Edge17]

help please.

I dont want to be charged when i'm not suppose to be.

 

[Russ]

An authorization is not the same as a charge. Of course they're going to authorize it. They have to make sure you're not some deadbeat or the card is stolen.

Russ, NCNE

 

[ricerx]

I think when they authorize the card, they check to see that it is valid. It's just a means of testing to see if the card works.

 

[Yo Ma Ma]

<< Just wondering, because a store requested authorization for my card. Its for the Cowboy Bebop box set, which won't be released until Nov. 20 >>

Having your account/card authorized for an amount isn't the same as being charged. It will hold the authorized amount against your available credit, but it will not affect your account balance or payment due. The authorization expires after a certain time (not sure how long - 10 days?) and it will actually be charged before mdse ships.

 

[ChrichtonsGirl]

Some stores always preauthorize your card before they actually charge it. It doesn't usually affect your available balance and the permanent charge that does won't appear until they ship. I had one company preauthorize the initial charge, then three days later, push through the actual charge before the pending charge had fallen off. It was a pain in the butt, since I was using a prepaid debit card. If you're using a regular credit card, then the pre-charge won't matter as far as your actual bill goes. You won't have to make payments on that purchase until they post a final charge.

Amazon, on the other hand, never preauthorizes, just charges when it ships (at least on all of my orders).

 

[Russ]

CG,

Amazon does pre-authorize with your first order just to verify validity. On subsequent orders, they don't.

Russ, NCNE