Payment authorization and capture

When payment is captured, your customer is charged. By default, credit card payments and some additional methods of payment are captured automatically, but if it suits your business better, then you can change your store setting to capture payments manually.

In the credit card payment process, payments are authorized and then they must be captured within an authorization period. Capturing a payment sends credit card information to the customer’s bank for processing.

Additional payment methods are processed differently than credit cards, but many providers support manual, as well as automatic, payment capture. If your store is set up to capture payments manually, but you add an additional payment provider that doesn't support manual payments, then payments will be captured automatically, not manually, on orders processed by that provider.

If you use Shopify Payments, another credit card payment provider, or providers for additional payment methods, then you need to decide how to capture payment from your customers. Payments can be captured in the following ways:

  • Automatically at checkout: payment is captured at the time of sale or, in the case of additional payment methods, when the provider completes payment processing. Automatic payment capture at checkout is the default setting. This option saves you time when processing orders and is used by most merchants.
  • Automatically when order is fulfilled: payment is Authorized at checkout and is automatically captured when the entire order is fulfilled before the payment authorization period expires. If you need to capture payment before the authorization expires or at an earlier time, then you can capture the payment manually. You can also set a notifcation email to warn you 2 days before an authorization expires.
  • Automatically capture per fulfillment (Plus only): payment is Authorized at checkout and payment is automatically captured when line items are fulfilled. This payment capture method is available instead of Automatically when order is fulfilled. If you need to capture payment before the authorization expires or at an earlier time, then you can capture the payment manually. You can also set a notification email to warn you 2 days before an authorization expires.
  • Manually: when an order's payment status is Authorized, you need to capture payment before you are paid for the order. Credit card payments must be captured within the authorization period. Capturing payment manually adds a delay and an extra step to your order processing workflow. You might set up manual payment for the following reasons:
    • Reviewing the fraud analysis of an order before deciding to capture the transaction or cancel the order.
    • Complying with an accounting standard that requires capturing payment upon fulfillment.
    • Complying with a local regulation that prescribes online merchants must offer at least one payment method that allows your customer to pay for the order upon delivery.
    • Capturing multiple payments using a supported payment provider.

What is a credit card authorization period?

All credit card payment providers have an authorization period to allow a charge to be made to a customer's credit card. The authorization process first checks that the credit card is valid, and then that the card has enough funds on it for the transaction.

The authorization period will end after a certain amount of time. The length of the authorization period depends on your credit card payment provider. You need to capture a payment within the authorization period to collect money for your order.

Shopify Payments provides an authorization period of 7 days.

Extended authorization periods

Merchants that use the Shopify Plus plan have extended authorization periods when certain credit cards are used at checkout.

Extended authorization periods differ, depending on the issuing bank of a credit card. Some cards might not support extended authorization periods, so you should monitor your Orders page for expiring authorizations.

Starting October 21, 2020, if you manually capture a payment after the standard seven day period, then a 1.75% charge will apply to the transaction in addition to standard credit card fees.

Authorization periods for different credit card providers.
Card typeAuthorization period
VisaUp to 30 days
MastercardUp to 30 days
DiscoverUp to 10 days
JCBUp to 10 days
American ExpressUp to 30 days
Diners Club7 days
China Union Pay7 days

If you have a payment that wasn't captured within seven days and you don't want to incur this fee, then cancel the order and create a new one. The authorization expiry date is displayed on the Orders page.

Set up automatic payment capture at checkout

Automatic payment capture at checkout is activated by default for new stores. If you are capturing payment manually but want to change the setting for your store, then you can activate automatic payment capture.

When automatic payment capture at checkout is activated, customers that pay with credit cards are automatically charged at the time of sale, and customers that pay with some additional payment methods are charged when the provider completes processing.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Payments.
  2. In the Payment capture section, click Manage.
  3. Select Automatically capture payment for orders.
  4. Click Save.

Set up automatic payment capture at fulfillment

When automatic payment capture at fulfillment is activated, the payment for the order is Authorized at checkout. Payment is captured automatically when the entire order is fulfilled within the authorization period. Automatic capture at fulfillment only applies to orders placed after the feature is activated. Any orders that are already in progress won't have automatic capture at fulfillment. If you need to capture payment before the authorization expires or at an earlier time, then you can capture the payment manually.

Limitations

Automatic capture at fulfillment has the following limitations:

  • Payment can only be captured within the authorization period.
  • The entire order must be fulfilled for automatic capture. Partially fulfilled orders won't be captured.
  • Your payment provider must support authorization periods.
  • Orders and draft orders with B2B customers or from the B2B checkout must be manually captured when they don't have a valid authorization and due on fulfillment payment terms.
  • This feature isn't compatible with fulfillment apps that require a paid order status before starting the fulfillment process.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Payments.
  2. In the Payment capture section, click Manage.
  3. Select Automatically when the order is fulfilled.
  4. Optional: Check Send a warning 2 days before an authorization expires to your account email.
  5. Click Save.

Set up automatic payment capture per fulfillment

When automatic payment capture per fulfillment is activated, payment for the order is Authorized at checkout.

Payment is captured automatically for line items and applicable taxes when they're fulfilled within the authorization period. Any remaining payment amount, such as shipping, fees, and duties, will be automatically captured when the entire order is fulfilled within the authorization period. Automatic payment capture per fulfillment only applies to orders placed after the feature is activated. If you need to capture payment before the authorization expires or at an earlier time, then you can capture the payment manually.

Limitations and requirements

Automatic capture per fulfillment has the following limitations:

  • Payment can only be captured within the authorization period.
  • Your payment provider must support authorization periods and multiple captures of an authorization.
  • Payment is due when the entire order is fulfilled instead of per fulfillment in the following scenarios:
    • You've added Due on fulfillment payment terms to an order.
    • The order was placed by a B2B company with location payment terms set to Due on fulfillment.
  • Orders created from B2B checkout without Due on fulfillment payment terms must be manually captured.
  • Automatic capture per fulfillment isn't compatible with fulfillment apps that require a paid order status before starting the fulfillment process.
  • Not all payment methods support capturing multiple partial payments. If capturing multiple partial payments isn't supported, then payment for the entire order will be captured at the first fulfillment.

The automation for capture per fulfillment is removed in the following use scenarios:

  • fulfillment is cancelled
  • payment is manually captured
  • an item is returned
  • the order is partially or fully refunded

Steps

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Payments.
  2. In the Payment capture section, click Manage.
  3. Select Automatically per fulfillment.
  4. Optional: Check Send a warning 2 days before an authorization expires to your account email.
  5. Click Save.

Set up manual payment capture

When manual payment capture is activated, customers that pay for orders in your online store with credit cards and some additional payment methods aren't automatically charged at the time of sale. To get paid, you need to capture payment manually within the authorization period.

You can manually capture the full amount for the order, or a partial payment. You can capture multiple partial payments when you use a third-party payment provider that supports that functionality, or you're on Shopify Plus.

Activate manual payment capture if it suits your business better than automatic payment capture.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Payments.
  2. In the Payment capture section, click Manage.
  3. Select Manually capture payment for orders.
  4. Optional: If you use Shopify Payments and you want to receive emails before the authorization period for each order ends, then check Send a warning email when authorizations are close to expiring. If you select this option but you don't use Shopify Payments, then you won't receive warning emails.
  5. Click Save.

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