A hold is an authorization, not a payment. Your bank sets the amount aside so it is available later, but no money moves when you book. The $20 is a fixed amount, the same for every booking and every shop, and it is the ceiling on what can be blocked before a mechanic has looked at the car.
What happens to the hold, step by step
- You confirm the booking. The $20 hold is placed on the card or wallet you chose.
- The shop inspects the car and confirms the price. The hold is raised to that price. If the price lands within what you approved when you booked, that happens without another tap; if it is above, the app asks you to approve it first.
- The shop marks the job complete. The hold is captured for the confirmed price. That is the only moment a completed job is charged.
If you paid with a wallet such as Apple Pay or Google Pay, the app may ask you to re-confirm the hold when it is raised; a saved card is re-authorized without an extra step. A booking made well ahead of the appointment can outlive its original authorization, in which case you may be asked to re-confirm the same $20 hold before the visit.
When the hold is kept instead
Before the inspection, any late-cancellation or no-show fee is capped at the hold: it is never more than $20, and nothing beyond it is charged. An inspection estimate you leave unanswered for 24 hours is treated as declined, and the $20 is kept to pay the shop for the inspection it already did. If the shop cancels, or never accepts your request, the hold is released in full. The cancellation policy summarizes the rules.