Partial Authorization
Definition
A partial authorization approves less than requested; verify the amount and supported next steps in the provider response.
A partial authorization occurs when an issuer approves less than the amount requested. The merchant must check the provider's response and supported payment-method rules to determine the approved amount and whether the remaining balance can be collected separately. Support and response fields vary by network, payment method, provider and integration.
Handling the remainder
Where the integration supports split tender, the merchant can capture or complete the approved amount and ask the customer for another payment method for the balance. If the customer does not want to continue, follow the provider's supported cancellation or reversal flow and confirm its final state. Do not assume the authorization can be ignored or that a response code is identical across all integrations.
Example: a $65 purchase receives approval for $47 on a prepaid card. If the provider exposes a partial-approval result and the checkout supports split tender, collect the $47 portion and request another payment for $18. Otherwise, tell the customer the payment was only approved for part of the total and follow the provider's documented cancellation path.
Before enabling this flow, verify the payment-method and merchant-category eligibility, API response fields, capture behavior and any network requirements with the PSP or acquirer. A general response-code table is not a substitute for the provider's current integration documentation.
Related terms
Authorization
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Authorization Rate
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Issuer
An issuer is the financial institution that provides a payment card and manages ...
Pre-Authorization
A pre-authorization is a card authorization obtained before the final amount is ...