Authorization · decode any status
"Authorized"
Your issuer (the bank that issued the card) approved the request. Money has not moved yet — the merchant still has to "capture" the auth to actually receive the funds.
Where you see this phrase
Payment processor dashboards (Stripe, Adyen, Braintree) immediately after a successful charge attempt.
Other authorization phrases
A hold is placed; no money has moved yet.
“Authorization Hold”
Your bank set aside the funds for a charge that has not actually been completed yet. The money still belongs to you — it just cannot be spent elsewhere until the hold drops off (typically 1–7 days) or the merchant captures it.
“Pre-Authorization”
The merchant asked your bank to confirm funds are available and reserve them, but has not actually charged the card yet. Common pattern — the real charge follows when the service is delivered.
Other stages of the payment lifecycle
The same transaction passes through several stages — each with its own phrase library.