What is a pre-authorisation hold?What is a pre-authorisation hold?
A pre-authorisation hold is a standard banking practice which places a temporary hold on funds when you add a payment method or request a trip with us. This allows the bank to confirm the payment method is valid and you have sufficient funds. This is becoming common practice for all companies who accept digital payment.
We need to check that we can take payment from the credit/debit card attached to your FREE NOW account, so we have placed a temporary charge for the estimated fare on your card*. No funds are debited / removed from your account.
What does this mean?
-
A temporary charge/hold (“pre-authorisation”) means we have reserved the estimated fare amount to confirm your account can cover payment for fare*.
Why we do this?
-
It may be because you are a new customer, your card is new, or you haven’t used our service recentl
- FREE NOW will release the temporary charge once the trip is completed, or the taxi request is cancelled.
-
The actual charge for the fare will be applied to your account after you complete your taxi journey,
Important - Each bank handles pre-authorisation differently, and may not release the reserved amount for several days. It may appear that you have been charged twice, but you have not been. If the amount has not been released after 7 days, please contact your bank.
For Bank of Ireland customers - we have been made aware of temporary charges appearing in your account for over 7 days, before being released.
Please contact us if you have further questions on any of the above and our customer care team can assist you.
Submit Custome Care query here
*Subject to minimum temporary charge or pre-authorisation for €10.
What is a pre-authorisation hold?What is a pre-authorisation hold?
A pre authorisation hold is a standard banking practice which places a temporary hold on funds when you add a payment method or request a trip with us. This allows the bank to confirm the payment method is valid and you have sufficient funds. This is becoming common practice for all companies who accept digital payment.
Has it actually been taken from my account?Has it actually been taken from my account?
FREE NOW is not charging your credit card. A pre-authorisation is a security guarantee for payment only and isn’t actually debited from your account.
How long does the pre-authorisation hold last for?How long does the pre-authorisation hold last for?
The pre-authorisation hold varies depending on your individual bank but will usually take 3-5 working days to clear from your account. If you want to query when the hold will be removed we advise that you check with your bank.
How much is a pre-authorisation hold?How much is a pre-authorisation hold?
Before a hail request is executed FREE NOW will pre-authorise the estimated fare amount on the customer’s credit card based on the passenger’s destination*.
Does the pre-authorisation hold apply to both debit and credit card?Does the pre-authorisation hold apply to both debit and credit card?
During September & October 2022, any driver who earns Gold or Silver Loyalty Level in any 6 out of 8 weeks in September and October will earn a Circle K voucher worth up to €200.
- Gold Ambassador - Win a €200 voucher for hitting Gold in any 6 out of 8 weeks. Gold means you did 70 or more jobs the previous week.
- Silver Ambassador - Win €100.
- Gold Non-Ambassador - Win €100.
- Silver Non-Ambassador - Win €50.
You can check how you’ve done in the last 4 weeks in the FREE NOW app, by clicking on ‘Learn More’ in the Loyalty Points section in the Driver App home screen. On the next screen, then click on “See weekly scores” (near the top).
Earn 1 Circle K voucher for hitting Gold or Silver in any 6 out 8 weeks (from September to October). You'll be contacted in November to confirm your postal address if you met the criteria and your voucher will be posted to you.