Understanding payment processing in a failed order

If you get a failed order message, yet see a pending charge, don't panic! When you look at your bank statement it may look like you’ve been charged, but if our system says the order failed then we have not collected any funds. When you make a purchase on our website, your funds go through the following steps:

1. Our computers verify with your bank/credit card provider or PayPal that the necessary funds are currently available in your account.
2. In response, they authorize the use of this money and reserve these funds within your account.
3. If we determine that the purchase is good, your payment provider will give us the money to pay for your purchase.

At step two, the funds are set aside and reserved, so that you cannot use them on any other purchases. This creates a "pending" order which means that while your statement shows the funds as unavailable, they have not left your account until after stage three. If your order failed, then your card provider or PayPal will release the money back into your account, typically within three to five business days. Once the funds are released, the order will disappear from your statement.