Frequently Asked Questions

An account verification transaction can be used to verify the card details and its validity without impacting the customer’s available funds. For example, this transaction type will check the card number provided to ensure it is valid and that it’s not a lost or stolen card. This transaction type will always be processed with a $0 amount. This feature is supported by Visa and MasterCard only.

Account verification transactions can be used as a one-off transaction or to validate a card when a new payment schedule is created.

When a new payment schedule is created the transaction types can be either an instalment payment or a recurring payment. Instalment payments are fixed incremental payments made towards a single purchase at regular intervals and they stop once the balance is paid off. For example, four $100 monthly payments towards a sofa that costs $400.

The other transaction type used when a new payment schedule is created is a recurring payment. Recurring payments are processed at fixed, regular intervals for an ongoing service. For example, a monthly magazine subscription.

No, once the payment schedule has been created it can’t be changed. If you want to edit the schedule type, you will need to delete the payment schedule and create a new one.

An initial authorisation is a flexible preauthorisation that allows for subsequent increase or decrease in value. This type of transaction can be used when the merchant does not know the final amount when the transaction begins. There are two ways to do this, through a preauthorisation increase transaction used to increase the initial amount value and a preauthorisation cancellation used to decrease the total amount authorised. For example, a hotel booking where the final account balance might change after the time of booking.

This transaction type is supported by Visa and MasterCard and is available to merchants from eligible industry segments.

Merchants from the following segments are eligible to use the initial authorisation transaction type. Merchants who don’t belong to the below MCC category cannot use this transaction type.

Eligible Merchants

* Additional MCCs eligible as of October 2019

A preauthorisation will reserve funds on a customer's credit card for five to 10 days, depending on the cardholder's bank. During that time, you can "complete" the transaction to capture the funds.

You can select to preauthorise funds instead of taking a "one-off payment" through the Merchant Login or through most other transaction interfaces. Refer to the integration guide for each product.

Only the cardholder can release funds reserved on their card. They must call their issuing bank and request release of the preauthorisation. SecurePay and merchants do not have the authority to release funds reserved on a customer's bank account until the issuer's hold on the funds expires after a few days.

A preauthorisation increase can be used to increase the total amount authorised if the amount of the initial authorisation is insufficient. A preauthorisation increase request can also be based on a revised estimate of what the cardholder may spend. Preauthorisation increases do not replace the original authorisation — they are additional to previously authorised amounts — the sum of all linked initial and preauthorisation increases represent the total amount authorised for a given transaction.

This transaction type can only be used for initial authorisations. It can’t be used for normal pre-authorisations or after the transaction has been completed.

Preauthorisation cancellation can be used to partially or fully reverse the total amount authorised.

This transaction type can only be used for initial authorisations. This transaction can’t be used for normal pre-authorisations or after the transaction has been completed.

MasterCard allows merchants to increase the validity time for initial authorisations. A preauthorisation increase processed with $0 or more will automatically increase the validity of the initial authorisation.

This feature is not supported by Visa.