creditcard
Differences
This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
| Both sides previous revision Previous revision Next revision | Previous revision | ||
|
creditcard [2009/05/06 07:15] twdorris |
creditcard [2009/10/19 20:50] twdorris |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Line 9: | Line 9: | ||
| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorization_hold | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorization_hold | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| ===== Overview ===== | ===== Overview ===== | ||
| - | The image below outlines the process here. It's basically: | + | The whole process is basically this: |
| - Customer submits credit card information to our website, including credit card billing address | - Customer submits credit card information to our website, including credit card billing address | ||
| Line 17: | Line 19: | ||
| - Our processor submits the credit card # and amount to the customer's bank for an authorization hold. | - Our processor submits the credit card # and amount to the customer's bank for an authorization hold. | ||
| - Once our processor has this authorization hold, they attempt to validate the billing address with the credit card bank. | - Once our processor has this authorization hold, they attempt to validate the billing address with the credit card bank. | ||
| - | - If that succeeds, our processor finishes the sale and the money transfers to our account | + | - If that succeeds, our processor finishes the sale and the money transfers to our account. |
| - | - If that validation fails, our processor gives us a declined message | + | - If that validation fails, our processor requests that the customer's credit card bank release the authorization hold placed in step 3. |
| - | {{http://www.ecmtuning.com/images/forums/ccflow.gif }} | ||
| ===== Authorization Hold ===== | ===== Authorization Hold ===== | ||
| - | The biggest problem with this "hold and commit" flow is that the authorization hold placed in step 3 above locks those funds in the customer's credit card account for some period of time **even if** the transaction (and actual transfer of funds) in step 4 fails. | + | The biggest problem with this "hold and commit" flow is that the authorization hold placed in step 3 above locks those funds in the customer's credit card account for some period of time **even if** the transaction (and actual transfer of funds) in step 4 fails. Our processor requests that the credit card bank release the hold, but not all banks do this promptly. They place the hold immediately but they clear the hold periodically! Some banks can take 24hrs or more to clear a hold after being told to do so! |
| - | We have no control over this ourselves. The customer's credit card bank can clear the hold if the customer calls in about it. But it's really up to the customer's bank on how long that hold will stay in place before being cleared automatically. | + | We have absolutely no control over this. The customer's credit card bank can sometimes clear the hold if the customer calls in about it. But it's really up to the customer's bank on how long that hold will stay in place before being cleared automatically. |
| So if the customer just checks his available balance after one of these failed transaction, he will mistakenly get the impression the funds were transferred out of his account. But in reality, only a hold was placed. No funds transfer actually took place if the transaction failed. | So if the customer just checks his available balance after one of these failed transaction, he will mistakenly get the impression the funds were transferred out of his account. But in reality, only a hold was placed. No funds transfer actually took place if the transaction failed. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| ===== Resolution Steps ===== | ===== Resolution Steps ===== | ||
| - | By **FAR** the best way to figure out why a transaction was declined is to call the credit card bank. Contact information is usually available on the back of the credit card. The bank can tell the customer exactly why a particular transaction was declined and can help to free up the authorization hold or can explain how to get the transaction to succeed. | + | The best way for a customer to figure out why a transaction was declined is to call their credit card bank. Contact information is usually available on the back of the credit card. The bank can sometimes (but not always) tell the customer exactly why a particular transaction was declined and can sometimes (but not always) help to free up the authorization hold or can explain how to get the transaction to succeed. |
| - | There's very little we can do on our end. The process is handled securely off site by our credit card processing service. We retain no information related to transactions on our site for security reasons. So we have no visibility into these failed transaction. | + | There's very little we can do on our end. The process is handled securely off site by our credit card processing service. For security and liability reasons, we retain no information related to transactions on our site. So we have no visibility into these failed transactions. |
| ===== Address Check ===== | ===== Address Check ===== | ||
creditcard.txt · Last modified: 2024/03/15 11:16 (external edit)
Page Tools
Except where otherwise noted, content on this wiki is licensed under the following license: CC Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
