Hotels and rental companies often ask for a hold on top of the price, and a card with no overdraft handles that differently from a credit card. Here is what to check and how to prepare before you arrive.
Published September 29, 2026 · 3 min read
A hold, also called pre-authorisation, is a reservation of money on your card. Hotels and rentals commonly place one to cover possible extras or damage, instead of taking the money immediately. The amount is set aside from your available balance, so you cannot spend it elsewhere while the hold is active. A charge, by contrast, is money actually spent. The hotel or rental company decides the size of the hold, so ask for it in advance.
In principle, yes: a hold is a card operation like any other, and what matters is the balance. The Nexus Pay card is a Visa card that spends only the available balance, with no credit and no overdraft. So the hold works as long as the balance covers it. The wallet itself is not a bank, and the card is issued by a licensed partner organisation after identity verification. The key condition is that the money is already on the card when the hotel or rental company requests the hold.
You need enough for the stay and for the hold at the same time. If the price is one figure and the hold is another, the card must have at least their sum available at check-in. Moving money from the wallet balance to the card costs 0.1%; for example, 1000 USDT moved to the card becomes $999.00. Topping up a bit more in advance costs little and avoids a declined hold at the desk. Ask the property for the exact hold amount, since it is set by the merchant.
The virtual card is issued right away and works online and contactless via Apple Pay and Google Pay, so it suits online bookings and prepayments. The physical card is delivered by mail and works at tills and ATMs, so it suits a desk in person. Both spend the same wallet balance, so you do not split money between them. If a property has specific requirements for the card used for a hold, ask before you travel.
| Situation | Which card | What must be on the card |
|---|---|---|
| Online booking with prepayment | Virtual card | Enough for the full price |
| Online booking with a hold at check-in | Virtual card, or physical if the property asks | Enough for the stay and the hold together |
| Check-in at the hotel desk | Physical card, or virtual via Apple Pay or Google Pay | Enough for the stay and the hold together |
| Car or equipment rental at the counter | Physical card, or virtual via Apple Pay or Google Pay | Enough for the rental and the hold together |
| Cash deposit | Physical card at an ATM | Enough for the amount plus the 0.25% fee and any ATM-owner fee |
The hold will not go through. The card has no overdraft, so it cannot borrow the missing amount. The practical fix is to move more balance onto the card and try again. At a check-in desk that is an awkward moment, which is why it is better to top up before arriving. If you want to be careful with the card between trips, you can freeze and unfreeze it in the app in one tap.
Do the slow steps first, then the quick ones. Issuing a card requires identity verification with a document and a photo, and a physical card arrives by mail, so leave time for delivery.
If you need cash for a deposit, an ATM withdrawal costs 0.25% plus any fee shown by the ATM owner, and one larger withdrawal costs less than several small ones.
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