What Is a Void Transaction?

What Is a Void Transaction?

Let me explain what a void transaction is. It's a debit or credit card transaction that you, as a merchant, cancel before it's settled by the cardholder's bank and before you've received any payment. You often void transactions when customers or you discover an error or suspect fraud.

Key Takeaways

Understand that a void transaction is a credit or debit card purchase canceled before any money leaves the cardholder's account. Even after voiding, it might show as pending on the customer's statement for a short time. Remember, voids differ from refunds, which happen after the transaction clears and you've been paid. Common reasons include mistaken charges, returns, and suspected fraud.

How Void Transactions Work

When you make a credit or debit card transaction, the merchant's point-of-sale terminal sends the info electronically through a card network. The terminal authorizes it if the network confirms the card is valid and the customer's bank says there are enough funds or credit. This authentication and authorization happen in seconds.

But the transaction isn't done until settlement, when payment moves from the customer's account to yours. If there's a problem, you can void it before this point, and no money moves. You might void because the customer changes their mind or you spot a mistake. Once voided, it appears as pending on the customer's account and then vanishes after some time.

Pending transactions hold the money, lasting from 24 hours to several days, which can inconvenience the customer if they need to use their card again. Note that a void transaction generally happens on the same day as the original transaction.

Examples of Void Transactions

Let's look at problems with purchases. Voiding can correct mistakes quickly if spotted right away. For instance, if a shopper at a grocery store gets charged for the next customer's items by accident, the cashier voids the transaction, re-scans the correct items, and charges properly.

Some merchants give a time window to cancel if the customer changes their mind, like e-commerce sellers allowing 24-hour cancellations. If canceled, you void the transaction, the buyer isn't charged, and goods don't ship.

Now, for fraudulent transactions. Card issuers detect suspicious ones and flag them before completion. They put them on hold until the customer verifies. If it's not legitimate, they void it. If unreachable, many automatically void suspicious transactions before settlement.

Void Transactions vs. Refunds

Know that void transactions stop the process before money transfers from customer to merchant. Refunds happen after settlement and payment to you. Some systems settle immediately, so you can only refund, not void.

Refunds take longer than voids—some show in 48 hours, others up to 30 days. Important: Because refunds follow money passing through, they take longer than voids.

What Is a Chargeback or Reverse Transaction?

A chargeback, or reverse transaction, is like a refund where the customer gets money back credited to their card. It can be initiated by you willingly or forced by the cardholder or issuer. For example, if a product is faulty and you refuse return, the customer asks their issuer to reverse it. You can dispute chargebacks.

What Does 'Posting' Mean With a Credit or Debit Card?

Posting is when a transaction completes, and money moves out of or into the cardholder's account. The date on their statement is the post date or settlement date, often later than the actual transaction date.

Why Are Credit or Debit Card Transactions Declined?

Transactions get declined for reasons like insufficient credit line or funds in the linked account. Other causes include expired cards, incorrect PIN, or suspected fraud by the company.

The Bottom Line

Void transactions halt credit or debit card payments before you receive any money. You can only void in a small time window; after that, the cardholder requests a refund. That's the key point here.