Pre-authorization, partial capture and voids

If you are running the gateway in authorize-only mode, the money is held rather than taken, and you decide what happens next from the WooCommerce order screen.

Capturing the full amount

Open the order and use the capture action. The held amount is collected and moves to settlement. Do this when you have confirmed you can fulfil.

Capturing part of it

Enter an amount lower than the authorized total. The remainder of the hold is released back to the customer’s available balance.

This is useful when an order changes after checkout: an item is out of stock, a booking shortens, or a quoted job comes in under estimate. The customer is charged what they owe rather than being charged in full and refunded the difference.

Voiding

A void cancels the authorization entirely and releases the hold. Nothing is charged.

Void or refund?

If the transaction has not been captured, void it. If it has been captured, refund it. A void is cleaner for both sides: the customer’s funds are released rather than charged and returned, and there is no refund sitting on their statement.

The expiry problem

Authorizations do not last indefinitely. The window is set by the cardholder’s issuing bank, commonly around seven days, and neither we nor Scotiabank control it.

Capture after expiry and the attempt fails. The money was never taken, so your only route is to ask the customer to pay again, which is an awkward conversation and sometimes a lost sale.

If your fulfilment routinely takes longer than a few days, run authorize and capture instead and treat refunds as the exception.

Requirements

Captures and voids need API access enabled on your Scotiabank account and the Professional plan or higher.