You can place a temporary or "soft" hold on a customer's card, also known as an authorization, without charging them right away. Here's how:
1. Go to the Transaction
Open the transaction view screen for the order.
On the left-hand side, under the Actions panel, scroll to the Payments and Fees section.
2. Select "Authorize Payment"
Click on Authorize Payment below Collect a Payment.
If you don’t see this option, your payment gateway may not be set up yet.
3. Choose Card and Amount
Select the customer’s saved card from the dropdown or you can enter a new card number.
Enter the amount you want to authorize (this can be the full balance or a custom amount).
Click the green "Authorize Amount" button.
4. View the Authorization
You’ll see a success message once the authorization goes through.
The Amount Paid will still show $0.00 since the card hasn’t been charged yet.
Go to the All Payments list to see the authorized amount labeled as “Authorized.”
5. Capture or Void the Authorization
Next to the authorized payment, you have two options:
Capture – charges the customer and collects the funds.
Void – cancels the hold and releases the funds back to the customer.
Note: Banks usually automatically release authorizations within about 5 days if not captured, but you can usually still capture or process the payment after this time.
Tip: Authorizing a card is a great alternative to a traditional security deposit since it doesn’t require refunding the customer later. You can also use this with customers who choose to pay with cash to ensure you have a card on file for their order.
Need Help?
If you have questions about authorizing, capturing, or voiding payments, contact us at [email protected].