Payment FAQ
Last updated: April 13, 2026
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How Payment Works
How does payment work, step by step?
- You approve your quote and pick a payment method.
- If you choose card, you'll be taken to a secure checkout page.
- Your card is authorized for the quoted amount. That means your bank sets aside the money — but no charge actually goes through yet.
- The driver completes your tow.
- We charge your card for the amount you approved. You'll get a receipt by email.
What's the difference between "held" and "charged"?
A hold (also called an authorization) is your bank setting aside the money so you can't accidentally spend it twice. It shows up on your statement as pending. No money has actually moved yet.
A charge (also called a capture) is when the money actually moves from your account to ours. That happens after the job is complete.
When are you actually charged?
Only after the driver marks the job complete. If your job is cancelled, the hold on your card is released and you aren't charged anything.
Why do I have to type my name and check a box?
New Jersey and most state consumer-protection rules require an electronic signature for any service over a certain dollar amount. Typing your name + checking the box is how you authorize us to hold and then charge your card. We keep a timestamped record of this signature in case there's ever a dispute.
What You'll See on Your Statement
Why is there a pending charge on my statement before the tow is done?
That's the authorization hold we placed when you approved the quote. Your bank reserves the money but hasn't moved it yet. Once the driver completes the job, the pending charge becomes a real charge. If the job is cancelled, the pending charge disappears entirely within 3–7 business days (timing depends on your bank).
Am I being charged twice?
No. You're looking at the same charge in two different states. Some banks show the hold and the final charge separately for a day or two before consolidating them. It's visual only — your bank won't let us take the money twice.
If you do see two fully-posted charges (not one pending + one posted), contact us immediately — that would be a bug on our end and we'll fix it.
What does "TOW" or "RPM TOWING" on my statement mean?
Your statement will show something like TOW 42 RPM TOWING. The number is your request ID — it's how we look up your job if you have a question. Keep it handy if you call us.
How long until the pending charge goes away if I cancel?
If the job is cancelled before we charge your card:
- We release the hold right away on our end.
- Your bank takes 3–7 business days to actually remove the pending entry from your statement. That delay is on the bank's side, not ours.
- If it's been longer than a week, call your bank and ask them to clear the expired authorization — we've already released it.
Pricing and Fees
What's the 3% transaction fee?
Card payments carry a 3% processing fee that covers the cost our payment processor (Stripe) charges us per transaction. The fee is shown separately on your quote before you approve. Cryptocurrency payments carry a 1% fee. Cash has no fee.
Why is my final charge different from the quote?
In most cases it matches exactly. Occasionally the actual job is different from what was quoted — for example:
- Longer distance: drop-off turned out to be farther than originally given.
- Extra work: vehicle was in a harder-to-reach spot than expected (off-road, stuck in snow, etc.).
- Reduced scope: the problem was simpler than it looked, and we're charging you less.
If the final amount differs from the quote, dispatch reviews it before charging you. For increases, you'll be contacted for approval. For decreases, we simply charge less than the hold and release the difference.
Do I get a receipt?
Yes — the moment we charge your card (after the job is done), you'll get a receipt by email from Stripe on our behalf. It includes the itemized amount, our business info, and a "view details" link.
If you don't see it within a few minutes, check your spam folder. If it's still missing, contact us and we'll resend.
Can I get a price adjustment if I notice an error after the charge?
Yes, within limits:
- Same day (before 11:59 PM local time): dispatch can adjust or refund directly from our system.
- After that: we can still issue a refund, but it's handled by our dispatch manager reviewing the job file. Typically within 1–3 business days.
Call or email and include your request number (the "TOW #" on your statement) — that's the fastest path.
Payment Methods
What cards do you accept?
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. Debit and credit both work.
Do you accept Apple Pay or Google Pay?
Yes. On checkout, if you're using Safari on iPhone or iPad (Apple Pay) or Chrome on Android (Google Pay), the button appears automatically. Same rules as cards — authorized first, charged on completion.
Do you accept Link?
Yes. Link is Stripe's one-click checkout. If you've used Link before on any website, your saved info appears on our checkout page as well.
Do you take cash?
Yes. At the quote stage, select "Cash" as your payment method. You'll pay the driver directly when the job is done. No hold is placed on any card, and there's no processing fee.
Do you take cryptocurrency?
Yes. We accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC, and a few others via Coinbase Commerce. Select "Cryptocurrency" at checkout; you'll be shown a wallet address to send to. Because crypto payments are instant and non-refundable, we charge the full quoted amount at the time you approve (not a hold + capture). If your job is cancelled after you've paid in crypto, we refund you by sending crypto back to the originating wallet.
Can I split payment between methods?
Not currently. One job, one payment method.
Problems and Questions
My card was declined — what now?
A decline on the authorization hold usually means:
- Your bank flagged the transaction as unusual — call them and say "I'm approving a charge from RPM's Towing in New Jersey" and retry.
- Insufficient available credit or funds.
- Expired or blocked card.
You can retry at checkout with a different card, or choose cash and pay the driver on arrival. Nothing is charged when an authorization is declined.
I didn't get my receipt.
Three things to check:
- Spam / promotions folder — receipts often land there first.
- The email address on your quote — if it had a typo, the receipt went to the wrong place. Contact us and we'll resend to a corrected address.
- Timing — receipts send within 1 minute of the charge going through. If the job is still in progress, the charge hasn't happened yet (that's normal).
I need to cancel my tow.
If the driver hasn't arrived yet, call dispatch at (908) 271-5474 as soon as possible. We'll release the hold on your card immediately. A cancellation fee may apply if the driver is already en route — but the full quoted amount is not charged.
After the driver arrives, cancellation is at dispatch's discretion and charges may still apply.
I think there's a problem with my charge. How do I dispute it?
Call or email us first — most issues are resolved within a day and avoid the dispute process entirely:
- Phone: (908) 271-5474
- Have your request number ready (the "TOW #" on your statement).
If we can't resolve it, you have the right to dispute the charge with your bank. The bank will pause the charge, contact us for evidence, and make a decision within 60–90 days. We keep detailed records of every job (quote, approval signature, driver notes, photos, delivery confirmation) so disputes are handled fairly on both sides.
I never authorized this charge — it looks like fraud.
If you don't recognize the charge and never used our service:
- Call your bank first. Ask them to block the card and issue a new one. Tell them the merchant is "RPM's Towing" in New Jersey.
- Call us at (908) 271-5474 with the charge details. We can look up the job and tell you who approved it (name, phone, vehicle info) — often it's a family member or a friend who requested the tow without telling you.
- If it's genuinely fraud, dispute the charge with your bank. We'll cooperate fully with their investigation.
The driver couldn't complete the job — what happens to my hold?
If we can't complete the job (can't reach the vehicle, wrong address, mechanical issue on our end), we release the hold and you aren't charged. If the issue was on your side (you gave wrong information, weren't there to meet the driver), a partial charge may apply to cover dispatch and drive time. You'll be notified either way.
Privacy and Security
Is my card information safe?
Yes. Your card details are entered directly on Stripe's secure checkout page — they never touch our servers. Stripe is a PCI-compliant payment processor used by Shopify, Zoom, Lyft, Target, and thousands of other businesses to handle card data. We only see a reference ID (so we can look up the charge), never your actual card number, expiry, or CVC.
The same applies to cryptocurrency: Coinbase Commerce handles the wallet transactions; we only see which one of our invoices was paid.
Do you store my card number anywhere?
No. The only thing we store is a Stripe "Customer ID" (a reference, not a card) so that if you tow with us again, we can offer you a faster checkout. You can confirm this in our Privacy Policy.
What happens to my payment data after the job is complete?
Transaction records (amount, date, driver, vehicle info) are kept for business and tax purposes. Any personal details like your name, phone, and email are encrypted at rest using industry-standard AES-256 encryption. We never sell your data — details in our Privacy Policy.
Still Have Questions?
We prefer phone for anything payment-related — it's usually faster than email:
- Phone: (908) 271-5474
- Hours: 24/7 for active tows; business hours (Mon–Fri 8 AM – 6 PM) for billing questions.
Have your request number (the "TOW #" on your statement) ready — it's the fastest way for us to pull up your job and help.