Credit card transactions are always made up of an authorisation and a capture. The authorisation component verifies the card is valid and requests the cardholders bank to place a hold on the funds. The capture then instructs the card issuer to send the funds to Pay Advantage for settlement to your merchant bank account. Generally when you process a card transaction on our platform we combine both the authorisation and the capture into one call for ease of use and simplicity.
We offer the ability for you to separate calls into two components allowing you to first authorise a transaction and place a hold on funds. Then either capture the funds or void the authorisation at a later date. This feature can save merchants the hassle, fees and risks attached with capturing funds upfront and then having to the transaction in part or in full as the authorisation can easily be voided if required.
This can be useful if you are not sure of the final amount or want to ensure the cardholder has sufficient funds such as:
- Hotel mini-bar, first night of accommodation or security deposit.
- Hospitality venues when opening a bar account.
- Prior to dispatching goods to allow time to verify a customers identity or verify stock.
patch https://api.test.payadvantage.com.au/v3/payment_authorizations/