Saw a charge on your statement but your Gold Coins (GC) or Sweeps Coins (SC) haven't shown up? Take a breath — in almost every case your money is safe, and there's a simple explanation.
First, the key fact: when a purchase fully completes, your Gold Coins are delivered instantly, and any Sweeps Coins bonus is applied automatically at the same time. If your coins aren't there, it almost always means the purchase did not finish on our end — so there's nothing to "refund," because no completed charge ever went through. Find the situation below that matches what you're seeing.
1. A "pending" charge that isn't a real charge
What you see: A pending or "processing" line on your statement, but no coins.
Why: When a purchase doesn't fully complete, your bank may still show a pending authorization hold — money set aside while it waits for confirmation. It is not a completed charge; no money has actually left your account. Typical timeframes for pending authorization holds are generally 1–5 business days, but may extend up to 7 business days depending on your bank or payment method.
What to do:
Let it drop off on its own — typically within 1–7 business days, depending on your card issuer or bank. There's nothing to refund.
We can't release the hold — only your bank can clear a bank-side authorization.
You can keep playing in the meantime.- Apple Pay transactions may take slightly longer, typically 5–7 business days, to release authorization holds.
2. A purchase that was voided and not credited
What you see: A failed or never-finished purchase, no coins added, but a charge still appears.
Why: A purchase voided before completing means the payment is not captured and coins are not delivered. What you see is the same kind of pending hold — it will drop off. This is a temporary authorization hold, which typically clears within 1–5 business days, though it may take up to 7 business days depending on your bank.
What to do:
It's safe to try again. Let the first hold clear before retrying so you don't create a second one.
If a completed purchase still isn't showing coins, contact us.
Heads up: "Buy Now, Pay Later" and cash-advance services are not accepted on Gains.com. A purchase made with one will be refunded in full and any winnings from it removed. See Supported Payment Methods.
3. A crypto purchase that isn't showing yet
What you see: You sent crypto (BTC, ETH, SOL, USDC, or USDT), it shows "completed" in your wallet, but no GC.
Why: We wait for the transaction to be confirmed on the blockchain before crediting — usually about a minute, but slower during congestion or with a low fee. Once confirmed, your coins credit automatically.
What to do:
Check your transaction status — paste your transaction hash into a blockchain explorer.
Sending the wrong asset or network can delay delivery — see Crypto Purchases before you send.
If it's confirmed on-chain but still hasn't arrived, contact us with your transaction hash.
4. A declined card that still shows a pending charge
What you see: A decline, no coins, but a pending charge.
Why: Even on a decline, your bank can briefly place a pending hold before releasing it. It is not a completed charge. Authorization holds for declined transactions usually clear within 1–5 business days, but in some cases, it may take up to 7 business days depending on your bank.
What to do:
Wait for the hold to clear — typically 1–7 business days, depending on your card issuer or bank.
Sort out the decline first — see My Payment Was Declined or Rejected.- Contact your bank if the hold has not cleared after 5 business days (or 7 business days for Apple Pay) for assistance in releasing the hold.