Certain merchants hold funds greater than the actual purchase because the final amount is not yet known.
The hold amount varies based on the purchase type (debit or credit) and the merchant (gas station, hotel, airline, restaurant, etc.). When making these types of purchases, you'll need enough funds in the ReliaCard account to cover these holds or the purchase will be declined.
Example scenario: At a restaurant, the total amount for everyone's meal is $60. The restaurant then authorizes $72 to allow for a 20% tip. When it's time to pay for the meal: