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Pre-Authorisation

How to complete a Pre-Authorisation on a credit card in RMS. 

 

Overview

Pre-authorisation places a temporary hold on funds on a Credit Card when using a compatible Payment Gateway in RMS.

Funds held by pre-authorisation can be consumed on the Reservation Account using the CC Pre-Auth Token.

CC Pre-Auth Tokens are associated with the Reservation they are created on and can be created using a different card than any Credit Card Token on the Guest Profile.

The options available to create a CC Pre-Auth Token vary based on the Payment Gateway configured for the Property and include creation using an existing Credit Card Token or the connected EFTPOS terminal when using RMS Pay.

The Guest's bank will release the funds back to the Guest if the pre-authorisation is not consumed.

 The number of days funds are held is determined by the merchant, with an average of 3-5 business days up to 30 business days after the CC Pre-Auth Token is created.

Pre-authorisation can be used to verify the validity of a credit card presented at check-in or ensure there is a prerequisite amount of funds available on the card to cover the Guest's accommodation or incidental charges.

A Deposit is a pre-payment taken towards the expected Account Balance on the Reservation that results in funds being taken from the Guest's bank account. A pre-authorisation places a hold on the funds within the Guest's bank account until consumed.

★ Tip: Properties using RMS Pay can generate a Pre‑Authorisation token from an existing CC Token. For properties utilising a third‑party Payment Gateway, the availability of this feature should be confirmed directly with their provider.

 

A pre-set pre-authorisation amount can be set up on the Payment Gateway using the following options.

Calculation Option Description
Default Pre-Auth The minimum pre-authorisation amount of one dollar or equivalent as determined by the Payment Gateway.
Flat Fee Per Reservation Set a dollar value to be used for pre-authorisation per Reservation.
Per Nights Stay Set a dollar value to be multiplied by the number of nights on a Reservation for the pre-authorisation.
Per Adult Set a dollar value to be multipled by the number of Adult Guests on a Reservation for pre-authorisation.
Percentage of Total Rate Set a percentage value to be calculated against the Total Rate on the Reservation for the pre-authorisation.
Total Rate + Per Nights Stay Enter a dollar value to be multiplied by the number of nights on a Reservation in addition to the value of the Total Rate for pre-authorisation.
Total Rate + Percentage of Total Rate Enter a percentage value to be calculated against the Total Rate in addition to the value of the Total Rate on the Reservation for pre-authorisation.
First Night's Accommodation The value of the first night's Rate as the pre-authorisation value.
✎ Please Note: RMS is highly configurable. Some Terminology, User Access & Permissions, Images, Labels, and Functions used in these articles may differ from your setup. CLICK HERE to find out more.
✎ Please Note: A CC Pre-Auth Token can be created on a Reservation from the Arrive Date up until the Depart Date, when the Accounting Date also falls between these dates.

 

Guide

Open the Reservation in RMS.

  1. Select the CC Pre-Auth Token icon.
    RMS Reservation screen showing the CC Pre-Auth Token icon or button highlighted, opening the pre-authorisation window for the current reservation.
     
  2. Select Add.
    RMS CC Pre-Auth Tokens window listing any existing pre-authorisations with the Add button selected to create a new CC Pre-Auth Token for the reservation.
     
  3. Select the Process Token Using option.
  4. Enter a Process Amount.
  5. Select 'Create/Exit'.
    RMS Create CC Pre-Auth Token dialog showing a Process Token Using dropdown (for example Online Form, EFTPOS Terminal, or Existing Credit Card Token) and a Process Amount field populated, with the Create/Exit button highlighted to place the hold on the guest’s card.
✎ Please Note: The 'Process Token Using' options will vary based on the Payment Gateway configured for the Property. The 'Process Amount' will use the Pre-Authorisation Calculation Option selected on the Payment Gateway setup.

 

More Information

RMS CC Pre-Auth Token screen displaying the Process Token Using dropdown expanded, showing options such as Online Form, EFTPOS Terminal, and Existing Credit Card Token for processing the pre-authorisation.

 

The Options for 'Process Token Using' (3) are: 

  1. Online Form. (A window will open requesting information)
    1. Enter the Credit Card Details.
    2. Select Pay or Submit.
       
  2. EFTPOS Terminal.
    1. Follow the On-screen Prompts on the EFTPOS terminal.
       
  3. Existing Credit Card Token.
    1. Select the Credit Card Token to use for Pre-authorisation.
    2. Enter a Process Amount.
    3. Select 'Create/Exit'.

 

The CC Pre-Auth Token will be available for selection when creating a Receipt on the Reservation Account.

RMS Reservation Account Receipt window with a payment method or token selector showing the available CC Pre-Auth Token chosen to consume the held funds when applying a receipt to the reservation.

 

 

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