By employing credit card pre-authorization, restaurant staff can conveniently swipe a guest’s card when placing an order, securely retain their bar tab, and authenticate the validity of their bank account.
It’s important to note that pre-authorization is specifically designed for card swiping transactions. It isn’t compatible with credit card chip/EMV dip payments or contactless payment methods such as tapping a card.
Advantages of Pre-Authorization
- Utilizing pre-authorization streamlines the process by storing card details, eliminating the need for the physical presence of the card to settle a pre-authorized check.
- This pre-authorized card information will be readily available as a payment option labeled on the payment interface.
- Initiating pre-authorization sets up a tab for the cardholder, allowing for easy retrieval of tabs either by the cardholder’s name or by re-swiping their card. At the conclusion of the transaction, a check associated with a pre-authorized (Saved CC) card can be closed without the necessity of swiping the card again. However, it’s important to recognize that like any other transaction, pre-authorization doesn’t provide complete immunity against chargebacks.
How to Set up Pre-Authorization on the POS?
Configure the pre-authorization in Dashboard
| 1. Open POS Dashboard from Desktop |  |
| 2. Settings > Payment Methods > check the box for “Enable Pre-Authorization“Enter your minimum Pre-Authorization Amount (must be at least $0.01) but typically most restaurants set this to at least the price of one drinkSelect SAVE. POS dashboard and POS must then be restarted for your changes to be saved. |  |
Using the Pre-Authorized Card for Payment
| 1. Open POS App |  |
| 2. Select Item you want to pre-authorize and click PAY |  |
| 3. Select Pre-Auth. If this button does not appear for you, please scroll down for troubleshooting resolutions. |  |
| 4. Enter in your Pre-Authorization amount. Remember, pre-authorization only works with card swiping. |  |
| 5. The payment will be processed and an Approved window will appear. |  |
Troubleshooting
| If you don’t see the Pre-Authorization button (step 3 in Using your Pre-Authorized Card for Payment), start by confirming that your POS dashboard is properly configured. Then, double-check that you’ve completed the following steps as outlined below.> Settings (in POS app) > Ensure Credit Card Processing toggle is ON |  |