The payment gateway supports the following credit card transaction types.
Prior Authorization and Capture
This is the most common type of credit card transaction. The amount is sent for authorization, and if approved, is automatically submitted for settlement.
This transaction type is sent for authorization only. The transaction will not be sent for settlement until the credit card transaction type Prior Authorization and Capture (see definition below) is submitted, or the transaction is submitted for capture manually in the Merchant Interface.
If action for the Authorization Only transaction is not taken on the payment gateway within 30 days, the authorization expires and is no longer available for capture. A new Authorization Only transaction would then have to be submitted to obtain a new authorization code.
You can submit Authorization Only transactions if you want to verify the availability of funds on the customer’s credit card before finalizing the transaction. This transaction type can also be submitted in the event that you do not currently have an item in stock or you want to review orders before shipping goods.
Note: If you are using SIM,you can configure the hosted payment form to submit either Authorization and Capture or Authorization Only transactions. Please communicate to your Web developer your preferences regarding which of these credit card transaction types should be used for your website.
Prior Authorization and Capture
This transaction type is used to complete an Authorization Only transaction that was successfully authorized through the payment gateway.
Note: An Authorization Only and a Prior Authorization and Capture together are considered one complete transaction. Once the Prior Authorization and Capture is submitted, the transaction will be sent for settlement.
The payment gateway accepts this transaction type and initiates settlement if the following conditions are met:
The original Authorization Only transaction was submitted within the previous 30 days (Authorization Only transactions expire on the payment gateway after 30 days).
The transaction is submitted with the valid Transaction ID of an original, successfully authorized, Authorization Only transaction.
The original transaction is not already settled, expired or errored.
The amount being requested for capture is less than or equal to the original authorized amount.
For this transaction type, the amount is only required in the event that a Prior Authorization and Capture is submitted for an amount that is less than the amount of the original Authorization Only transaction. If no amount is submitted, the payment gateway will initiate settlement for the amount of the original authorized transaction.
This transaction type is used to complete a previously authorized transaction that was not originally submitted through the payment gateway or that required voice authorization.
The payment gateway accepts Capture Only transactions if the following conditions are met:
The transaction is submitted with the valid authorization code issued to the merchant to complete the transaction.
The transaction is submitted with the customer’s full credit card number and expiration date.
Note: If you are using SIM, we strongly recommend that you only submit Capture Only transactions using the Virtual Terminal. This transaction type requires the submission of full sensitive customer information, which requires a greater level of compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard. If your business needs the ability to submit this transaction type from a custom application, please consider using AIM. For more information about AIM, please see the AIM Developer Guide at http://developer.authorize.net/guides/AIM/.
This transaction type might be subject to a higher discount rate. Please contact your Merchant Service Provider for more information about submitting Capture Only transactions.
This transaction type is used to refund a customer for a transaction that was originally processed and successfully settled through the payment gateway.
The payment gateway accepts Credits if the following conditions are met:
The transaction is submitted with the valid Transaction ID of an original, successfully settled transaction.
The amount being requested for refund is less than or equal to the original settled amount.
The sum amount of multiple Credit transactions submitted against the original transaction is less than or equal to the original settled amount.
At least the last four digits of the credit card number used for the original, successfully settled transaction are submitted. An expiration date is not required.
The transaction is submitted within 120 days of the settlement date of the original transaction.
This transaction type is used to issue a refund for a transaction that was not originally submitted through the payment gateway. It also allows you to override restrictions for submitting refunds for payment gateway transactions, for example, if you are beyond the 120-day period for submitting a refund or you would like to refund an amount that is greater than the original transaction amount.
The ability to submit unlinked credits is not a standard payment gateway account feature. To request the Expanded Credits Capability (ECC) feature, you must submit an application. For more information about the ECC application, please see http://www.authorize.net/files/ecc.pdf.
IMPORTANT: A Transaction ID must not be submitted with an Unlinked Credit. If ECC is enabled for your account, and a Transaction ID is submitted with the Unlinked Credit transaction, then the payment gateway will attempt to apply the credit to an original transaction with the Transaction ID submitted.
Note: If you are using SIM, we strongly recommend that you only submit Unlinked Credit transactions through the Virtual Terminal. This transaction type requires the submission of full sensitive customer information, which requires a greater level of compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard. If your business needs the ability to submit this transaction type from a custom application, please consider using AIM. For more information about AIM, please see the AIM Developer Guide at http://developer.authorize.net/guides/AIM/.
This transaction type is used to cancel an original transaction that not yet settled and prevents it from being sent for settlement. A Void can be submitted against any other transaction type.
Note: If you are not sure whether a transaction is settled, you can attempt to submit a Void first. If the Void errors, the original transaction is likely settled, in which case you can submit a Credit for the transaction.
The payment gateway accepts Voids if the following conditions are met:
The transaction is submitted with the valid Transaction ID of an original, successfully authorized transaction.
The original transaction is not already settled, expired or errored.