diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/booking-transition.service.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/booking-transition.service.ts
index 149875e6e..181c47b2d 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/booking-transition.service.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/booking-transition.service.ts
@@ -927,13 +927,6 @@ export class BookingTransitionService {
       "OPERATION_CHANGES_REQUESTED",
     ]);
 
-    // A company sitting on another unpaid hold commits nothing new — this is
-    // the moment export capacity locks, so the lock applies here too.
-    // Government bookings allocate without paying and are exempt.
-    if (!booking.isGovernment) {
-      await this.bookingsService.assertNoUnpaidHold(booking.companyId);
-    }
-
     // A bare initiated instance (clearance-first flow) carries no cargo or
     // price — it must go through the contract completion endpoint, which
     // persists cargo, prices, invoices and only then lands here itself.
diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/bookings.repository.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/bookings.repository.ts
index 185a6aaa7..35f84e419 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/bookings.repository.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/bookings.repository.ts
@@ -1396,16 +1396,6 @@ export class BookingsRepository extends BaseRepository<Booking> {
       .getMany();
   }
 
-  /** Open unpaid holds (wagons reserved, pay window running) for a company. */
-  countUnpaidHoldsForCompany(companyId: string): Promise<number> {
-    return this.repository.count({
-      where: {
-        companyId,
-        status: In(['SELECTED_FOR_BATCH', 'AWAITING_PAYMENT']),
-      },
-    });
-  }
-
   /** Bookings currently reserved (SELECTED_FOR_BATCH) against a schedule. */
   findReservedForSchedule(scheduleId: string): Promise<Booking[]> {
     return this.repository
diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/bookings.service.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/bookings.service.ts
index ed134d683..12c56ac13 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/bookings.service.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/bookings.service.ts
@@ -917,24 +917,6 @@ export class BookingsService {
     return result.booking;
   }
 
-  /**
-   * A company with an open unpaid hold (SELECTED_FOR_BATCH — wagons reserved,
-   * pay window running) may not take more capacity until it pays or the hold
-   * dies: otherwise one customer can lock a train's wagons over and over
-   * without ever paying. EXPIRED / CANCELLED holds free the lock.
-   */
-  async assertNoUnpaidHold(companyId?: string | null): Promise<void> {
-    if (!companyId) return;
-    const holds =
-      await this.bookingsRepository.countUnpaidHoldsForCompany(companyId);
-    if (holds > 0) {
-      throw new ConflictException(
-        'You already have a booking waiting for payment. Pay it or cancel it ' +
-          'before making a new booking.',
-      );
-    }
-  }
-
   /** Create a new freight booking. */
   async create(
     dto: CreateBookingDto,
@@ -997,10 +979,6 @@ export class BookingsService {
       companyId = company.id;
     }
 
-    // Government bookings allocate without paying, so the unpaid-hold lock
-    // only applies to commercial companies.
-    if (!isGovernment) await this.assertNoUnpaidHold(companyId);
-
     if (dto.trainScheduleId) {
       // Staff manual pin: the schedule must be OPEN and on the same route.
       const schedule = await this.dataSource
diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/contracts/contract-booking.service.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/contracts/contract-booking.service.ts
index 8da28e400..7e0a23e3f 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/contracts/contract-booking.service.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/contracts/contract-booking.service.ts
@@ -109,23 +109,6 @@ export class ContractBookingService {
     private readonly bookingTransitionService: BookingTransitionService,
   ) {}
 
-  /**
-   * Mirrors BookingsService.assertNoUnpaidHold for the contract booking paths:
-   * a company sitting on an unpaid hold (SELECTED_FOR_BATCH) books nothing new
-   * until it pays or the hold dies.
-   */
-  private async assertNoUnpaidHold(companyId?: string | null): Promise<void> {
-    if (!companyId) return;
-    const holds =
-      await this.bookingsRepository.countUnpaidHoldsForCompany(companyId);
-    if (holds > 0) {
-      throw new ConflictException(
-        'You already have a booking waiting for payment. Pay it or cancel it ' +
-          'before making a new booking.',
-      );
-    }
-  }
-
   async createUnderContract(
     contractId: string,
     dto: CreateBookingUnderContractDto,
@@ -186,8 +169,6 @@ export class ContractBookingService {
     // remainder; the customer cannot start any other booking on the contract.
     // If the remainder splits again the same rule repeats until the cap is
     // exhausted and the contract completes.
-    await this.assertNoUnpaidHold(contract.companyId);
-
     if (contract.contractKind === 'ONE_TIME') {
       if (await this.hasSplitBooking(contractId)) {
         await this.assertExactRemainder(contract, dto);
@@ -475,7 +456,6 @@ export class ContractBookingService {
         );
       }
     }
-    await this.assertNoUnpaidHold(contract.companyId);
 
     const route = await this.resolveRoute(contract, dto.contractRouteId);