Apple Barclay Rewards -- What is going on?????

[Anonymous]

Hi all!

I know this is not an Apple support forum but my question is more about the Barlcay Apple Rewards card. I'm trying to see if anyone else had this experince. As a disclaimer, I have called Barlclay, who told me to call Apple. I called Apple who said the situation would be "Worked out" in 24-48 hours.

So, I opened a Barclay Apple Rewards card last week with the intention of utilizing the financing offer to buy a new iPad and an Apple Watch.

Yesterday I placed my order for those times and a few accessories.  The total with tax and everything was $1,980.75.  My credit limit is $2,000.00

Within about an hour, I got a notice from Apple that my card had been declined.   I got on the Barclay app and noticed that there were $2,555.65 worth of Temporary Authorizations.   Panicked, since I had not bought that much, I called Barclay.  They were nice but told me I needed to call the merchant.  I did that an the girl could not see anywhere on her end that I was being charged over my purchase amount but she sent my order to the "credit department" for review.

About an hour after that I got an email from Apple telling me that the previous issues with my card had been resolved.  In the meantime a few items already shipped and will be delivered today.  So, I figured everything was good.  I checked my Barlcay acct last night and nothing had really changed so I figured  I'd give it time to cycle.

Well. to my utter disbelief, I opened the account this morning to see that I now have "Temporary Authorizatons" in the amount of $6,6,673.43!!!! WTH?????  I have not called Apple again, I am trying to give it time to correct itself.  But, seriously, WTH are they doing?????  Also, how is Barclay allowing these charges on a card with a $2k limit??  

My "current balance" shows $0.00 and my available credit shows $456.82

I am a bit panicked. I don't understand what's happening.  I know some merchants will place holds on your account to make sure it's a good card or whatever but those amounts are usually a few dollars.  Why are thy holding $4,6000 MORE than I purchased????  I am going to give it until tomorrow and then call Apple again but, if it;s like yesterday, they won't even be able to see what I'm talking about on their end.  

I have bought many, many things online over many years and have never had anything even close to this happen to me.  I have never bought anything from Apple.com before.  If this is their way of doing things. I won't ever again. I cannot even imagine if this was my checking acct rather than a credit card.

Any anyone offer any kind of explanation or advice?   Thanks  

[Anonymous]

Wow, cam3150, I would be freaking out too! I don't know if this will help, but I do have two Barclay's cards and they do seem to show weird temporary authorizations, like things being doubled or even two auths for differing amounts. To Barclay's credit, they always have posted correctly once they move to posted transactions. Mine have never been nearly the amounts of yours, and haven't affected available credit or anything but if they did I would be on the phone to Barclay's. I hope you get it all worked out with them, and I hope nothing like that ever happens again. 

[fltireguy]

Just wondering... were you looking at the account in the very early morning? IIRC Barclays cards do weird things in the wee hours

[Anonymous]

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@fltireguy wrote:
Just wondering... were you looking at the account in the very early morning? IIRC Barclays cards do weird things in the wee hours

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 No, it wasn't too early.  I just looked at it again and nothing has changed.  

[austinguy907]

This is where you take a deep breath and say wooosaa.  Just let some time pass and things to actually post before messing with either party.  Talking with the "credit dept." is probably what caused the 2-3 temp holds against your card.  Some merchants will do an auth against the card and then process an actual charge once it ships.  So, maybe some of it is due to the item shipping and making the perm charge against the card.  Some companies put a hold for 48-72 hours and others up to a week.  No way of knowing what Apple is doing for a time frame and hopefully waiting it out until Mon or Wed of next week will clear things up and show only actual charges.  If something weird is going on then it's time to go to Barclay after enough time has passed and sort it out from their side whether it's duplicate charges or someone on the Apple side trying to use your card for a personal purchase.  

[Anonymous]

Hopefully I can shed some light having handled contracting at Apple Telesales Team before. Check your order status, look to see how many items in your order saying shipped or processing. For anything that was in stock and ready to ship, it will authorize that amount as a seperate transaction.

The way Apple does this, for items that are in immediate stock and able to ship within 24 hours (except Saturday and Sunday), the initial order placement is just a temp authorization, (this drops when the final item in the order ships) the final charge doesn't hit until it's ready to ship. For each item in your order, the ship date, triggers that charge for just that item since most of their items don't ship together (ships from different warehouses).

I would overall watch your emails, since you were using the card sounds like your permanent card hadn't came in so it's on the original instant approval. The reason I say watch your emails, you mentioned you got an email saying your card declined. The best way to handle that is ask Apple Customer Service to see if they check the auth pending and posting lines for your order, they will have to contact Barclay to drop the original auth to release your line for your final items to ship (you can't request it) it's merchant to bank only. It will drop faster in that case.

It's kind of wonky but having been in retail customer service in the past, especially for online orders, it happens from time to time and it becomes more so a nuisance when you're at or near your credit limit when you order.

[Anonymous]

This scared the heck out of me when I placed my first Apple order on that card too. I had over 4K in authorizations on my 2K card at the time. The holds for the computer itself were differing by a small amount, but once everything shipped, it settled into the correct amount. Don't worry...it will most likely all post correctly, but they can't really help you until transactions post to your account.