Capture

Capture is where money actually moves in a card transaction lifecycle. Authorization says “the funds are available and reserved”; capture says “take them now.” Understanding the gap between the two — and how to use it — is operationally important for any merchant running pre-authorization flows, delayed fulfilment, or partial shipment models.

Single-Message vs. Dual-Message

Most e-commerce checkouts run single-message (auth-capture): authorization and capture are sent in a single request. The transaction is approved and funds are collected in one step. This is the default for merchants who ship immediately and know the charge amount at the time of payment.

Dual-message (separate auth and capture) is used when:

• Amount is not known at authorization: Hotels, car rentals, and fuel merchants authorize an estimated amount and capture the actual amount later
• Delayed fulfilment: Merchants who only capture when goods are shipped — not at checkout — to avoid charging customers before fulfilment
• Split shipments: A single order captured in multiple increments as items ship separately

Dual-message is slightly more operationally complex but gives merchants more flexibility on timing and amount.

Capture Windows

Card schemes impose maximum windows between authorization and capture:

• Standard e-commerce: 7 days (Visa), 7 days (Mastercard)
• Travel / hotel: Up to 31 days for pre-authorized transactions (scheme-specific rules apply)
• Fuel merchants: Often same-day

Attempting to capture outside the allowed window results in a declined capture. The authorization has expired and a new authorization must be obtained — which may fail if the cardholder’s account status has changed. Merchants with deferred capture models need monitoring to ensure capture happens within scheme windows.

Partial Capture

Most acquirers support partial capture — capturing less than the authorized amount. This is common in:

• Partial order fulfilment: Capturing the value of items shipped while leaving the remainder on hold
• Hotel adjustments: Capturing actual room charges rather than the pre-authorized estimate
• Tip adjustment: Restaurant pre-auths capturing the final amount including tip

After a partial capture, the remaining authorization hold is released back to the cardholder’s available balance (timing varies by issuer — typically same-day for most card schemes).

Capture and Refunds

Capture timing affects refund options:

• Before capture (void): Cancel the authorization entirely. No funds move; the hold releases. Faster and cleaner than a refund.
• After capture but before settlement: Some acquirers support a “capture reversal” that same day
• After settlement: A refund is required — a separate, positive credit transaction back to the cardholder. Processing time and fees apply.

For operational efficiency, merchants processing returns should void pre-settlement whenever possible rather than initiating refunds post-settlement.