Is my pending balance my actual balance?

Asked by: Nathanael Medhurst MD  |  Last update: February 13, 2026
Score: 4.6/5 (47 votes)

It's important to understand how the two balances work so you know how much money is in your account at any given time. Actual balance (or ledger balance) is the amount of money that is actually in your account at any given time. It reflects transactions posted to your account, but not transactions that are pending.

Does pending balance come out of available balance?

The available balance is the amount of funds you currently have available to use. While a transaction is pending, the amount is deducted from your available funds. The account balance is the total amount you have in your account that includes any pending transactions or other amounts yet to clear (e.g. cheques).

Does pending mean the money is already taken out?

Does pending mean the money is already taken out? Pending transactions are authorized transactions that are still being processed. The transaction amount is deducted from any available funds but isn't reflected in account balances until processed and posted.

Does pending mean I owe money?

What does pending transaction mean? A pending credit card transaction is a purchase or charge that hasn't been fully processed. This happens when the credit card issuer has confirmed that you have the available balance to pay for the purchase but has not fully processed it yet.

What is the actual balance in my checking account?

Actual - The amount of funds showing in your account without considering incoming or outgoing funds that might be in transit. Available - The funds that are not already allocated to an expense, have settled into your account and can be spent.

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43 related questions found

What is meant by actual balance?

Actual balance (or ledger balance) is the amount of money that is actually in your account at any given time. It reflects transactions posted to your account, but not transactions that are pending. While it may seem that the actual balance is the current funds that you can spend, this is not always the case.

Can I spend my actual balance?

Can I spend my current balance? You can, but you have to be mindful about other financial transactions you have made. Your current balance reflects all your money, in addition to funds that are being held or are in transit, such as checks.

What does "pending balance" mean?

You may have bought something in a shop or online. Either way, the word 'pending' shows that the payment is still being processed by the retailer and is waiting to leave your account. It means your bank has approved the payment, but the retailer needs to finish collecting it.

Is a pending payment the same as an outstanding payment?

Thus, the primary difference lies in the payment status: an original invoice is awaiting or pending payment, while an outstanding invoice reflects an overdue payment, highlighting the need for collection efforts to secure the payment.

Can I spend money that is pending?

Can I spend the money that's being held for a pending transaction? No, the funds are temporarily unavailable until the transaction clears. Spending them could result in overdrafts or declined transactions.

What does "pending" mean on a checking account?

2. What's a pending transaction? Pending transactions are transactions that haven't been fully processed yet. For example, if you make a purchase with a debit card or credit card, it will almost always show as pending immediately when you view your account online or in a mobile banking app.

Why are my account balance and available balance different?

Your available balance is the total amount of money in your account that you can use for purchases and withdrawals, as it excludes pending transactions and check holds from your account balance. However, the available balance will not show checks that haven't been cashed or deposits which haven't posted.

Why is my money still showing as pending?

A pending transaction is an approved debit or credit to your bank account or credit card that hasn't been processed yet. Essentially, the money is still in transition from one bank to another. Pending transactions may include: Bank account deposits made by check, cash or direct deposit.

What's the difference between balance and balance after pending?

Your balance after pending shows recent debit card payments before we have fully processed (cleared) the payments. This means we have set aside from your account the money recently spent on your card before the seller actually takes it.

Does "pending" mean charged?

Pending transactions are charges that have been initiated but not yet fully processed or settled. They can take anywhere from a few hours to five business days to clear, depending on the charge. Restaurants, hotels, and car rental companies often initially list charges as pending until the payment is fully processed.

Is current balance what I owe?

Your statement balance typically shows what you owe on your credit card at the end of your last billing cycle. Your current balance, however, will typically reflect the total amount that you owe at any given moment.

Is outstanding the same as pending?

A "pending" item is actively in process or awaiting action. "Outstanding" is a broader idea that merely means action is possible. An outstanding item can remain outstanding forever. A pending item is always outstanding, but an outstanding item might not be pending.

Does "pending" mean "approved"?

A pending sale means a seller has accepted a buyer's offer. Compare this to a contingent sale, which means the seller has accepted an offer with contingencies to resolve before finalizing the purchase.

Does a pending payment mean it went through?

Not necessarily. A pending transaction means that the merchant has authorized the charge but hasn't completed it. In some cases, pending transactions may not go through if the merchant cancels the order, fails to finalize the payment, or adjusts the amount.

What is the remaining balance pending?

When a transaction is pending, it means that the transaction has been authorised but not yet fully processed. The funds are in transition between accounts. During this time, the transaction affects your available balance, which may lead to confusion regarding how much money you can spend until it is finalised.

How long can a payment be pending?

A pending transaction is a recent authorised card transaction that is waiting to be processed by the merchant and can take up to 28 days but normally takes 2/3 days to clear onto your balance. Once a pending transaction has cleared, it will appear below in your list of cleared transactions.

Are pending transactions included in current balance?

The current balance listed in your account includes any transactions that are pending but have not yet cleared. As such, the current balance might be listed as higher than the available balance — in other words, the current balance can be an amount that's greater than what you're able to withdraw from the account.

Why is a transaction pending but money deducted?

When a transaction is authorised, it's confirming to the merchant your card is valid and there's money in your account to pay for what you're buying. The transaction amount is then deducted from your available funds, and the transaction shows as pending on your account until the payment process is complete.

Do pending transactions show in current balance chase?

Your available balance is the amount of the account's present balance that is available for immediate use. Certain pending transactions, such as deposits that contain checks, may not be immediately available and wouldn't be included in the available balance.

What is the difference between clear balance and actual balance?

The only difference between the cleared balance and the actual balance figures is that the actual balance takes into account pending transactions that you know about but the bank does not.