Sometimes the final amount charged to your Sykka card is slightly different from the price you saw at checkout. This is normal for card payments, and usually comes down to one of the following.
Exchange rate changes
Your Sykka card is billed in USD. When you pay in another currency, the amount is first authorised at that day's exchange rate, then settled a few days later when the merchant finalises the transaction — at the rate on the settlement date. If the rate has moved in between, the final USD amount will be slightly higher or lower than the original hold.
Foreign transaction fees
An applicable foreign transaction fee may be charged separately for purchases made in a currency other than USD. This can make the final amount higher than the price shown by the merchant.
Pre-authorisation holds
Hotels, car rental companies, fuel stations and similar merchants often hold an estimated amount first, then settle the actual amount later. The final charge replaces the hold — it may be higher (added incidentals, fuel used) or lower (deposit released).
Merchant adjustments
The merchant may settle a different amount than originally authorised — for example, adding a tip, applying a discount, removing an out-of-stock item, or issuing a partial refund.
What happens to the difference
If the final amount differs because of a pre-authorisation hold or a merchant adjustment, we settle the difference automatically:
If the settled amount is higher than the authorised amount — the difference is deducted from your account balance.
If the settled amount is lower — the difference is released back to your account.
The settled amount replaces the original hold, so you'll only ever be charged once.
Differences caused by exchange rate changes, foreign transaction fees, or merchant currency conversion are part of the normal cost of the transaction and are not refunded.