How to Submit an Authorization Only Transaction

ReservationKey allows you to place a temporary hold on a guest’s credit card without immediately charging it. This is called an Authorization Only transaction and is available when using integrated processors such as Appstle (AppStone) and Authorize.net.

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When to Use an Authorization Only

An authorization only is commonly used when you want to:

• Verify that a card is valid before confirming a booking.
• Hold a deposit or damage guarantee without capturing funds immediately.
• Delay charging until check-in or after the guest’s stay.

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Steps to Authorize a Card

1. Open or create a reservation in ReservationKey.
2. Enter the guest’s credit card details under the Credit Card section.
3. Click Save to securely save the card to the reservation.
4. Go to the Payments section.
5. Enter the amount you wish to authorize in the Amount field.
6. Click Authorize Only.

This will place a temporary hold on the guest’s credit card for the specified amount. The hold confirms that funds are available, but no charge is completed yet.

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Charging or Voiding the Authorization

Once an authorization has been placed, you can either convert it into a charge or void it:

• Charge the Card:
  1. Click the Charge button next to the authorization.
  2. Confirm the amount and click Charge Card.
  3. The hold will be converted into a full transaction, and the payment will appear in your list of processed payments.
• Void the Authorization:
  1. If you do not wish to proceed with the charge, click Void.
  2. This will cancel the authorization and release the hold on the guest’s credit card.

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Important Notes

• Authorizations typically expire automatically after a set number of days (depending on your processor).
• The Authorize Only option is available only when using supported processors like AppStone or Authorize.net.
• Offline or non-integrated credit card methods cannot perform authorization holds.

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Summary

• Go to the reservation and save a valid credit card.
• From the Payments section, choose Authorize Only to place a hold.
• Later, click Charge to finalize or Void to release the hold.

Using authorization-only transactions helps reduce chargebacks and ensures that a valid card is on file before finalizing payment.