Pre-authorisation
What is the purpose of pre-authorisation and when is it used?
A pre-authorisation is simply a hold of a certain amount placed on your card. This is similar to giving a credit card when you check into a hotel. We ask your bank to set aside a certain amount to cover your journey. it is not a payment as it may appear in your online banking. Our system usually performs pre-auth if a user has < 15 journeys and has no access to our Membership program. Pre-authorisation is applied each time to journeys of Guests, it stops after gaining Membership access.
I’ve received a bank alert saying Wheely has charged me more than the journey’s cost, why is that?
Your bank may have sent you a message about a charge from Wheely, but this is just the pre-authorisation — your account hasn’t been debited yet. Some banks may call this a “charge”, but most now call it a “hold” or “pre-authorisation”. Rest assured you will only ever be charged for journeys you take.
How does the pre-authorisation process work?
When you book your journey, Wheely asks your bank to set aside a certain amount on your card. This is not a charge, but a pre-authorisation for the expected cost of your journey. If the journey costs more than the pre-authorised amount, Wheely may ask for an increase in the set-aside amount. When your journey ends, the final cost is taken from the pre-authorised amount, and Wheely quickly releases any leftover money back to your card. If the journey costs more than the pre-authorised amount, the extra amount is charged. The time it takes to release the hold varies by bank. Most banks return the released money immediately, but some might take a few days, so we ask for your patience as this process may take up to 14 days, depending on your bank. If this delay continues, we suggest reaching out to your bank to expedite the hold.
I booked a journey for tomorrow, but Wheely has already charged the cost, why?
If you’ve booked a journey in the future, the pre-authorisation might appear 48 hours prior the journey begins to secure the cost. Rest assured that this is not a charge, just a hold on your card that will be released after the journey.
What happens if I cancel the journey?
If you cancel within the first 5 minutes after your chauffeur starts heading to your pickup point, there’s no charge and the full pre-authorised amount is returned. However, if you cancel later or once your chauffeur has arrived, a cancellation fee, reflective of the selected fare class, will be taken from the pre-authorised amount. Any remaining balance will be promptly released back to your card. For more details, we invite you to review our Cities and Fares section.