How long does a pending authorization take to disappear?

It depends on the bank. Many release holds within a few business days, and debit cards can take longer.

What if the customer really placed the order twice?

Cancel the duplicate before it ships. Aide can cancel an unshipped order for a verified shopper, and the refund that comes with it waits for a teammate.

Should we ask for a statement screenshot?

Only if the second line is still there after the hold should have cleared. A screenshot with the card number covered shows whether it is a hold or a completed charge.

Charged twice email template

Two charges on the statement, one clear answer.

Check whether there really are two orders. Usually there is one, and the second line is a hold the bank will drop.Updated November 3, 2026 · By Ziyad Basheer

Use this template free See the template

Short answer

When a customer is charged twice for one purchase, the second line is usually a pending authorization hold that the bank releases within a few business days. If the store really has two orders for the same items, cancel the duplicate and confirm only once it is done.

The templates

Fills in from Shopify, with a fallbackYours to fill in

EmailAuthorization hold

Subject: About the two charges for order.name

Hi customer.first_name, Thanks for flagging this, and sorry for the worry. On our side there is one order, order.name, for order.total. When a bank shows two lines for one order, the second is almost always an authorization hold: a temporary check that the card can pay. It is not a second charge, and your bank releases it on its own, usually within 3 to 5 business days. If both lines are still there after that, reply with a screenshot of your statement, card number covered, and our team will look into it with you.

ChatTwo real orders

I can see two orders on your account for the same items: order.name and second order number. Neither has shipped yet. I can cancel the duplicate for you, and its refund goes to our team to approve. Shall I cancel second order number?

Internal noteBefore you reply

Double charge reported. Order on file: order.name, order.total, payment order.financial_status. Look for a second order from the same customer. One order: explain the hold. Two orders: cancel the unshipped one and approve its refund. Two captured payments on one order: refund one and tell the customer.

When to use

The customer sees two charges on their statement for one purchase. Not when they placed the same order twice by mistake.Aide picks a procedure from its When to use. Paste this into your procedure, then edit it for your store.

Only if

They report a double chargeYour duplicate charge topic is detected, for example “I was charged twice”.

An order on fileOrder exists is true, so the reply quotes the real order and its total.

Two orders, not oneWhen the account holds two matching orders, send the duplicate order copy instead.

Example conversation

Customer

I just looked at my bank app and I've been charged twice for my candle order.

Aide

Sorry for the worry. I can see one order on your account, #1057, for $46.00. When a bank shows two lines for one order, the second is usually a temporary authorization hold that your bank releases on its own, often within 3 to 5 business days. If both are still showing after that, message us and our team will look into it with you.

Customer

Okay, I will check again on Friday.

✓One order found in Shopify · Order #1057

Frequently asked questions

: Usually you were not. Many banks show an authorization hold, a temporary check that the card can pay, next to the real charge. The hold drops off by itself.
: It depends on the bank. Many release holds within a few business days, and debit cards can take longer.
: Cancel the duplicate before it ships. Aide can cancel an unshipped order for a verified shopper, and the refund that comes with it waits for a teammate.
: Only if the second line is still there after the hold should have cleared. A screenshot with the card number covered shows whether it is a hold or a completed charge.

Cancel orderConfirm a cancellation, or explain it already shipped.Email · Chat · Internal note Unrecognized chargeA charge from the store that they do not recognize.Chat · Email · Internal note Payment pendingThe order is placed but the payment is not confirmed yet.Email · Chat · Internal note Refund confirmationThe refund is approved and issued.Email · Chat · Internal note

Send this with the order filled in

Aide fills in the Shopify order and tracking, then drafts or sends the reply, as you choose.

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