Transaction Capture Timeframe
When accepting credit card and eCheck payments, there is a limited timeframe for capturing funds through transaction authorizations provided by card brand issuers and banking institutions. This article will outline the limitations of this time-sensitive process
When a sale or authorization transaction is executed on the Payrix Pro platform, it will receive an Approved status shortly after the payment is accepted. Unless reversed, the transaction is subsequently captured in the Merchant’s daily settlement batch, changing the status to Captured. Upon the completion of this settlement process, the transaction will be updated to Settled, signifying that the funds have been successfully processed and deposited into the Merchant’s account.
Credit Card Capture Time Limit
Authorized credit card payments provide varying timeframes for capturing transaction funds. Each card brand issuer has its own time limit to use the valid authorization :
American Express (Amex): 7 days
Diners Club: 7 days
Discover: 30 days
Mastercard: 7 days
Visa: 30 days
eCheck Capture Time Limit
Although NACHA does not specify a particular time frame, most processors and banks typically consider eCheck payment authorizations to be valid for a period of up to 30 days, unless stated otherwise.
Expired Authorizations
When an Approved transaction’s authorization expires, it must be reauthorized to obtain a new authorization code through a new transaction.
Important!
Expired authorizations do not trigger automatic transaction reversals. The transaction will persist and remain Approved even after the expiration timeframe has passed. To revoke this approval, you must process a reverse transaction.
See Reverse and Refund Payments for more information.
Customer Funds Return Process
If the authorized transaction funds are not captured, a reverse transaction must be processed, where the pending charge shown on the customer’s account statement will be removed and the authorization revoked.