Pre-Authorizations and Completions (Advices)

A Pre-Authorization transaction starts the purchase process by confirming that the Pre-authorization amount is available on the card and then placing a hold on that amount. This is useful if the final amount of the transaction is not known.  An Advice transaction completes or cancels a Pre-Authorization. Once the final amount of the Purchase transaction is known, an Advice transaction MUST be performed to complete the Purchase process and transfer those funds to your business account.

Note:  If you processed a Pre-Authorization transaction and no longer need to complete it (e.g. the cardholder chose another method of payment when the final amount was known) you can remove the Pre-Auth from the terminal memory by deleting or cancelling it to ensure that it is not completed accidentally.

Pre-Authorizations

Pre-Authorization transactions are commonly used in hotel, restaurant and car rental environments where the final amount of the sale is unknown when the card is first swiped. In these service-based environments, the Pre-Authorization transaction is often set as the default transaction started from the READY screen.

Note:  Pre-Authorizations can only be performed using chip functionality if the CHIP CARD PRE-AUTH parameter is set to YES on the terminal.

You can process a Pre-Authorization from the (Purchase default) READY screen.
           OR
You can process a Pre-Authorization from the (Pre-Auth default) READY screen.
 

Pre-Auth Completion (Advice)

If Tip Reporting is enabled, you can:

 - Complete , or cancel, the Pre-Auth from an Advice List.

If Tip Reporting is disabled, you can:

- Complete or cancel the transaction by using the Pre-Auth's Original Sequence number.

- Delete the transaction by performing a Transaction Inquiry.