Temporary fee on pending transactions from Monzo?

Wondered if anyone else could confirm Hewlett Packards response to a fee being added on top of product costs for a pending transaction.

I’ve read up or have experienced pre-authorisations and card checks before but never had a 4p charge/fee on a pending transaction.

I have a pending transaction with HP UK store showing as £39.04. The product cost is £39.

I emailed them to ask why the difference and their response suggests it’s Monzo’s process not HP that adds 4p but I’ve never noticed it before.

Is it really a temporary fee from Monzo or is it actually from HP?

“The 4 pence is a release fee that your bank charge you and release back to you once the pending transaction is taken.”

Thanks

Peter

That doesn’t sound like anything a UK bank (even one that’s perhaps a little cash-strapped) would do.

Given it’s a pending transaction I would wait until it goes through and then if you’ve been charged more than you agreed, you can dispute the transaction

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I have never heard of us doing this :thinking:

If in doubt, reach out to us via the Monzo chat and we can look into it for you!

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4p is such a random amount

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Head to the help section, type ‘contacting support’ and the article will have a link that takes you to the chat :relaxed:

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Thanks for commenting, I was certain this isn’t normal but as I don’t use very many online stores for my purchases I wanted to reach out to check.

I think HP support is just assuming it’s not from them and is a bank fee so they can clear their query. Plus the fact it’s only 4p it’s not worth bothering about and don’t understand why I was concerned about it.

i.e. For a moment I thought it was that new MasterCard fee that was mentioned for purchases made in the EU and I was also going to get duty and import charges as I’d used the European HP webstore by mistake.

As you said… I’ll wait and see what happens when the payment completes.

I do expect it to drop the extra 4p.

The article is called ‘Contacting support’ so that’s what I always suggest, but simply typing ‘Support’ works too :relaxed:

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Is it possible the item went up 4p just before you hit purchase?

Such as Amazon sometimes if you don’t checkout until the day after the price can change and it only has a small box telling you and if you don’t see it you’ll pay the new price

I ordered some cartridges from HP and was charged an extra few pence on Amex so I’d suggest it’s HP not Monzo. As I didn’t receive the cartridges the amount which was pending was never taken anyway.

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Yes, Amazon prices for things do jump around a lot more than I expected.

I have double-checked the HP order summary email and it is just £39.00.

Still convinced it an HP charge and one other post seems to confirm it.

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A 4p fee that the bank gives back to you? Tell HP to stop giving you utter bulls**t.

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I mean it’s definitely HP - I wonder why though. They make it sound like they’re holding your extra 4p hostage incase the payment doesn’t go through. :joy:

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It’s absolutely HP. I don’t believe it is normal behaviour - or indeed even possible - for a bank to amend a presentment as HP are suggesting had happened.

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Definitely interested in any responses from HP or Monzo as to why! Is it like when you get petrol and the amount changes? Still doesn’t answer why charge 4p extra in the first place. So many questions!

Almost as annoying when merchants do an Active Card check and charge more than £0.

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Would it not be better to tap into the pending transaction, scroll to the bottom and tap ‘Something wrong get help?’

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Someone’s idea to increase revenue. I’m sure many people just accept it and don’t bother to chase up 4p.

When I looked at the wording for that, help with transaction, it made it sound as though I just wanted all my money back…

As it’s still a pending payment, and I do want my order from HP, it seems a bit much to start what looked like a refund process.

From what we’ve been told on here if you go through the steps mentioned it sends all the relevant transaction details straight to the appropriate team. Unless @rosheenfrommonzo can say that this has changed?

Whereas if you just go through normal support, you’ll need to be manually passed to the right department and then you’ll have further back and forth while they get the relevant transaction details.

I understand it’s the principle but since it’s only 4p, perhaps wait until it is settled and it might correct itself?

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Like the time one2one “accidentally” sent every one of their 16 million customers a text which charged 20p to the bill. If no one bothered to ask for it back, for the sake of 20p, it’s a nice little earner to the tune of £3.2m.

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From recollection, using something wrong from the pending payment gives you the option of making fraud-relates reports. There’s no option for “I have a question about this transaction but don’t need it reversed”