Some gas station expenses may look unusual in Sage Expense Management at first glance - showing up as $1 charges or creating duplicates temporarily. This behavior is only for cards connected via Real-Time Feed (RTF) and is a result of how gas stations process card transactions.
This article explains what’s happening, what to expect, and how Sage Expense Management handles it behind the scenes.
Why does this happen?
When you swipe your card at a gas station, the merchant often doesn't know the final amount immediately. So they place a temporary hold of $1 to verify your card. Once the transaction is complete, the actual charge (e.g., $50 for fuel) is settled a few hours or days later.
If your card is connected to Sage Expense Management via Real-Time Feed, Sage Expense Management receives both of these updates:
First: a $1 pending charge
Later: a settled charge with the final amount
This can cause some confusion if you upload your receipt in between these two steps.
What you'll see in your Sage Expense Management account
Here’s how this typically plays out:
You swipe your card at a gas station → a $1 Pending expense is created in Sage Expense Management
You upload/text your fuel receipt (e.g., $50) → it doesn't match the $1 charge, so a second expense is created.
Once the $1 charge is updated to $50 (when the gas station sends the settlement), Sage Expense Management automatically merges the two expenses.
How Sage Expense Management makes this easier to understand
To reduce confusion and help you track gas charges more clearly, Sage Expense Management includes the following updates:
Visual tag: All $1 gas charges show a “Pending gas charge” tag.
Auto-merge: Sage Expense Management automatically merges duplicate expenses once the final amount is settled.
Auto-cleanup: Any unmatched $1 charges are auto-deleted after 15 days.
FAQs
Why am I seeing a $1 gas charge in Sage Expense Management?
This is a temporary authorization hold placed by the gas station. It will be updated to the actual amount once the transaction is settled.I uploaded a receipt and now I see two expenses. What do I do?
Don’t worry - this is expected. Sage Expense Management will automatically merge them when the final charge comes in.Does this happen for all cards?
No. This behavior only applies to cards on Real-Time Feed (RTF). Cards on other feeds will only show the final settled amount.Do I need to take any action?
No. Just upload your receipt as always. Sage Expense Management will handle the rest.What if I see two $1 gas charges in Sage Expense Management, though I swiped my card only once?
In rare cases, merchants may send two $1 authorization holds. If you upload your receipt, Sage Expense Management creates a third expense for the actual amount. Once one of the $1 charges updates to the final amount, it’s merged with the receipt expense. The extra $1 charge will remain pending and is auto-deleted after 15 days if not settled.In the above case, what happens to the extra $1 charge that never updates?
If it’s not matched to a final transaction, Sage Expense Management will auto-delete it after 15 days.
If you have any questions or feedback, reach out at [email protected]