Setting Up Card Payment Authorization in the Legacy Website Builder
Understanding Payment Authorization
Payment authorization is an optional feature that allows you to verify a customer's payment method before they begin a subscription or payment plan. When enabled, the system will temporarily hold the authorization amount you specify from the customer's bank account. This is not a charge, but a pre-authorization to ensure the funds are available.
If the account lacks sufficient funds during this check, the customer cannot proceed with the purchase. Once approved, the system will release the hold and credit the amount back to the account. Please note that it can take up to five business days for the funds to reappear in the customer's account after the authorization is complete.
Important: This feature works exclusively with subscription and payment plans. If a plan includes a trial period, the trial will begin immediately after the card is successfully authorized. You must configure this setting individually for each plan on your payment form.
How to Enable Authorization for a Plan
Follow these steps to activate payment authorization for a specific plan within your website's order form.
Step 1: Access the Product Settings
Navigate to the page in your website builder that contains the order form. Locate the form and click the three dots menu associated with it. From the menu that appears, select Products. If no products are listed, you will need to add your plans to the page before continuing.
Step 2: Edit the Desired Plan
Find the plan you wish to modify and click its Edit icon to open the settings for that specific plan. You will need to repeat this entire process for every plan on the form where you want authorization enabled.
Step 3: Configure the Authorization
Within the plan's settings, look for the Authorize Card option and click on it to reveal the configuration fields.
- In the authorization amount field, enter the dollar value you want to temporarily hold. This is the amount that will be deducted and then refunded. For example, entering $1 will result in a $1 hold.
- Next, click on the Currency field and select the appropriate currency for the transaction, such as USD.
Step 4: Save Your Changes
Once you have entered the amount and selected the currency, click the Update button to save the settings for this plan. The authorization feature is now active for this specific plan.
Remember to repeat these steps for any other plans on the form that require payment authorization.