Why Holdeta exists
Somewhere right now, a traveller is staring at €800 of blocked money, a hotel that says "we released it," and a bank that says "3 to 5 business days." All three are following rules that nobody ever showed the traveller. Holdeta shows the rules.
The problem with hold advice
Search "how long does a hotel hold last" and you get two kinds of answers: bank help pages that protect the bank ("up to 30 days"), and forum threads that generalize one person's Tuesday. Neither tells you the thing you actually need: a date, with reasons, and what to do if the date passes.
Yet the system underneath is surprisingly rule-bound. Networks publish authorization validity windows. The EU wrote the release duty into law. Issuer norms are documented. Weekends are arithmetic. Holdeta assembles those pieces into an honest earliest–typical–latest window, and tells you who controls each stage, so when you do have to make a call, you make the right one, to the right party, with the right words.
What we are, and aren't
- Independent. Not affiliated with any bank, card network or merchant. Nobody pays to change a number.
- Free, no login. Working out when your own money comes back should not cost money or an email address.
- Structurally private. The estimator is a single JavaScript file running in your browser. Your amounts and dates never touch a server. There isn't one. View source; check the network tab.
- Not financial advice. Estimates are informational. Your bank's policy decides the final timing; regulated advice comes from regulated advisers.
The family
Holdeta is part of plainforge: small, sharp, privacy-first tools for moments when money is stuck or about to be skimmed: transfereta.com ↗ answers "when will my transfer arrive?"; nodcc.com ↗ stops the "pay in your home currency?" trick at terminals abroad. Same principles everywhere: published rules, honest windows, zero data collection.
Corrections welcome
Payment rules change. Validity windows get updated, caps get raised, laws get transposed. If you can source a change we've missed, tell us. Corrections ship fast and are the most valuable mail we get.