The thing Stamps.com does is called an authorization. They transmit a request to your credit card company to set aside $1.50 for them. That $1.50 then becomes inaccessible to you. After 7-10 days, if the final amount to charge to the account hasn't been sent, the money is released back into the account.

This is common at places like hotels to make sure you have enough money for your stay. The money is set aside, but isn't actually charged until you check out. But if the hotel never sends the amount to charge, the money they set aside becomes usable by you again.

Yeah, I knew what it was from listing ebay items, but never remember what it's called. I suppose it really isn't important what it's called though.

Edit: Good news, everyone! The price-drop of the PS3 brings my referral requirements down from 14 to 11! It may not sound like much, but given that I only have 1 referral (I would have 7 but only one person has completed an offer), and I've been die-hard referral hunting since a few hours before this thread was posted... to be relieved of 3 referrals truly is a blessing.

More good news! The referral price dropped to 10 now! I currently have 11 referrals, but still only one of them counts, because my referrals aren't completing their offers. T_T

Oh, well. I always have this thread and my signature to help me, along with those posters I made.

Edit: I changed the name of the thread because my previous parenthetical statement seemed a little whiny.