An authorization is a type of transaction that checks if a credit card is valid for a future charge or places a hold on an amount. Using Chargent, you can initiate an authorization using Payment Request, the Payment Console, or via Chargent’s API. See the example below using the Payment Console:
Run an authorization if you want to hold a portion of the available balance on a card to capture in the future without pulling the funds at the time of authorization. Authorizations for most credit cards expire after 7 days but vary, depending on the gateway. Some gateways may take longer, which could remain on a customer’s account for up to 30 days. The authorization continues to hold the amount from the credit card’s available balance and could prevent the customer from making additional purchases until the authorization expires.
We recommend authorizing a credit card for more than the minimum of $1 if you intend to capture the funds within a few days. Then, capture funds within 3 days or void the authorization to process at a later date. Be mindful that authorizations reduce the customer’s available amount of credit. Use authorizations carefully because they could cause other transactions to be declined or, in the case of debit cards, could cause overdrafts for your customer. Consult your merchant agreement for more details because Visa, MasterCard, and American Express also have rules regarding acceptable authorization amounts for different types of transactions.
A customer’s credit card will only be charged when an authorization is captured using the Charge Authorized button at the top right of the transaction record.
Verifying A Card #
Authorizations can be a useful way to check the validity of a new credit card for a small amount. This does not verify that the card holds sufficient funds to accept a future charge or a larger amount, but has the benefit of not placing a hold on your customer’s funds and reducing their available credit. To verify a card, use the amounts for these card types:
- $0 authorization for Visa, MasterCard, or Discover
- $1 authorization for American Express
For the $1 American Express authorizations, void them by using the Void button on the Transaction record, or simply wait for the authorization to expire. The Transaction record will show a Type of “Register Token.”
Capturing Full Authorizations #
To capture an outstanding authorization in Chargent, click Payment Console from Chargent Anywhere. A pop-up displays, showing an existing authorization. Please note that you cannot create a new charge if a pending authorization is present. Then, click Capture.
Voiding Authorizations #
To quickly release the funds back to your customer, go to the Chargent Transaction record in Salesforce and click Void. This can be useful when an order is canceled, and you will not capture the funds. Keep in mind that not all banks allow merchants to void authorizations; sometimes, a hold remains on your customer’s account after you void an authorization.
Note: Authorizations on debit cards typically expire in 1-8 business days, while authorizations on credit cards can take up to 30 days to expire or “fall off,” depending on the card’s issuing bank.
Capturing Partial Authorizations #
Use an authorization when you need to authorize an amount less than the final total because you can capture an amount less than the authorization. For example, restaurants typically authorize the amount of the bill minus gratuity. Once the total amount of any tip is known, they capture the new authorization amount.
For e-commerce businesses, the best practice is to use third-party tools to automatically calculate shipping costs and taxes (if any) and then authorize the correct full amount. When the goods are later shipped, you capture the prior authorization.
To capture an amount less than what was authorized in Salesforce using Chargent:
- Go to the transaction record of the authorization in Salesforce.
- Edit the Amount of the transaction to be the amount you wish to capture.
- Click Save.
- Click Charge Authorized.
The first time you perform a partial capture of an authorization in Salesforce, we recommend verifying that the correct amount was captured by logging into your payment gateway reporting interface. To capture an amount more than your prior authorization, please contact your payment processor to see if it is possible and to have the feature enabled.
See Also
Understanding Chargent Transactions
Chargent Transaction Fields
Chargent Terminology
