Reserving amounts with your debit card
Easy payments at home and abroad
Book a hotel or rental car with your debit card
It’s easy to book a hotel, rental car or reserve tickets using your new debit card. It works in much the same way as a credit card. The difference when you ‘reserve an amount’ with your debit card is that the disposable balance in your current account is reduced by the amount of the reservation. You won’t be able to spend this amount as long as the money is still reserved in your account.
When you pay for something with your debit card, the amount is almost always deducted from the balance in your current account. But you can also reserve amounts. This is handy if you’re not sure of the total amount or delivery date. If you reserve an amount to pay for a hotel room or hire a car, for example, this amount will be deducted from your disposable balance. The final amount may be more, less or the same as the amount reserved.
Examples of reservations
Reserving money for a hotel or hiring a car
If you book a hotel room, the hotel may want to reserve the amount due. If so, this amount won’t be debited from your account right away. This can be handy when checking out as the hotel will only have to put together one bill for you, including any extra costs (for the mini bar, for example).
You can also use your new debit card to hire a car, assuming the rental company accepts debit cards as well as credit cards. If you reserve an amount with your debit card, the amount is reserved in your current account. The rental company can then be certain that the amount will be available after the rental period. The total cost is calculated when you return the hire car. This amount is debited from your current account and the reserved amount is immediately restored to your balance. If the rental company does not restore the reserved amount, it will expire automatically after 30 days.
Ordering groceries online
When you shop for groceries online, the seller nearly always reserves an amount in advance. They do this because they can only be sure that everything you’ve ordered is actually in stock, and know the weight of the fresh produce, when they deliver. The seller replaces the reserved amount with a final amount on delivery.
Reserving money when you fill your car
So you’re filling your car at an unmanned petrol station. You never know beforehand exactly how much fuel the car will take or how much this will cost. You insert your debit card, the petrol station reserves an amount (e.g. €150) and once you’ve finished filling up your car, the petrol station debits the final amount from your account. You see the actual amount charged and the name of the petrol station on your account overview, rather than ‘Reserved amounts’.
The words ‘Reserved amounts’ and the amounts reserved are only displayed on your account overview temporarily. You’ll see them on Internet Banking or in the ABN AMRO app, but they never appear on your printed bank statements.
Please note
You can only book a hotel or car if there is enough money in your account. This is different from a credit card, which gives you a monthly spending limit.
Example
Imagine you reserve €1,500. This amount is blocked in your account. If your disposable balance is €2,000, you have another €500 to spend.
Frequently asked questions
What are reserved amounts?
A reserved amount is an amount that is temporarily reserved in your account. An amount is reserved when you use your (digital) debit card as an undertaking to pay a seller. In the case of a reserved amount, the exact amount due is uncertain, or the delivery date is in the future or unknown. You’ll see reserved amounts on Internet Banking or in the ABN AMRO app under the heading 'Reserved amounts'.
Where can I see reserved amounts?
You’ll see them on Internet Banking or in the ABN AMRO app as ‘Reserved amounts’. Once a reserved amount has been paid, you’ll find it in your transactions on Internet Banking or in the ABN AMRO app.
Can I reserve an amount for any seller or provider?
It is up to sellers and providers operating in the Netherlands or abroad to decide which types of transactions they accept. Not every seller or provider makes use of reserved amounts. This also applies to Dutch and foreign online shops. Not every online shop will use reserved amounts.
The reserved amount has been aborted. What should I do?
A transaction (reserved amount) can fail, perhaps because your balance is insufficient, you’ve tapped in the wrong PIN or the Mastercard ID Check has failed. Failed reserved amounts will not appear in the ABN AMRO app or on Internet Banking, but you will see them at a POS terminal or during the seller’s online check-out process.
First check why the transaction failed and try to complete the payment again. If it still doesn’t work, contact the seller’s or provider’s customer service department.
How can I delete a reserved amount?
You cannot delete a reserved amount yourself. Only the seller can do that. Get in touch with the seller if you want to change or cancel a reserved amount.
No money is blocked in your account if you reserve an amount on your credit card
If you pay or reserve an amount using your credit card, this amount is deducted from your monthly spending limit. The credit card company advances you the amount, and you repay it at the end of the month. If you pay or reserve an amount with your debit card, the amount is deducted from the disposable balance in your current amount immediately.
Pay securely with your new debit card
Shop and pay online securely with your new debit card. You may sometimes have to approve your payment first in the ABN AMRO app.