Can a late transaction settlement cause a negative balance?

Yes, in certain cases. While transactions may be held for up to 30 days, some merchants may not finalize a transaction until later. If you spend the released funds after the applicable hold period expires and the merchant later submits the settlement, your account could temporarily go into a negative balance. This is rare, but it can happen with late-settling merchants. There is no overdraft fee, and the negative balance is automatically offset by your next load or direct deposit onto the card. You will not be able to use your card for additional transactions if it has a negative balance.