You’re waiting for a refund.
The original charge hasn’t been reversed yet.
Then you see another charge.
Same amount.
Same merchant.
It feels like you were billed twice.
In many cases, this is a temporary authorization — not a second charge.
Why a Second Charge Appears
- Subscription renewal triggered automatically
- Authorization hold refreshed
- Pending charge revalidated by the bank
- Merchant rebilled before refund completion
Refund timing and billing cycles can overlap.
Authorization vs Actual Charge
- Authorization: temporary fund hold
- Charge: posted transaction
Only posted charges move money permanently.
When It’s Truly a Duplicate Charge
- Both charges are fully posted
- Refund was never submitted
- Subscription cancellation failed
Posted duplicates require merchant or bank resolution.
What You Should Do
- Check transaction status (pending vs posted)
- Confirm refund submission date
- Verify subscription cancellation
Most “second charges” disappear once refunds finalize.
Overlap creates the illusion — not always a true double charge.