Authorizing Credit Card Sales Automatically

You must authorize credit card sales through your merchant services network to ensure payment. Use Credit Card Authorization to automate this process by setting up sales authorization information beforehand so it is handled automatically.

Counter sales are frequently authorized at the time of sale. But in the case of an order due next week, you may want to collect a credit card payment at the time a shipping ticket prints. To do this, use the Totals area's Payment >CC Info menu option to display the Credit Card Default Billing Information screen. Working with the information on this screen, the Credit Card Authorization Phantom can handle the authorization details at the necessary times. For example, you can pre-authorized the sale for the expected sale amount. Then when the order is ready to ship, the system can handle the final authorization, making any necessary adjustments to the authorized amount.

Automatically authorizing a sale requires you to first provide the customer's default information for the credit card billing.

To authorize credit card sales automatically:

From the Orders menu, select Sales Order Entry to display the Sales Order Entry window.
Click the Totals tab to display the Totals area for the order.
In the Totals area, select Payment > CC Info to display the Default Credit Card Information window.
In the Authorization Method field, select which authorization method to use. By default, this field displays the preference from the Default Credit Card Information screen in Customer Maintenance.

Pre-Authorize Before Shipment - Sets money aside on the credit card, guaranteeing funds for the order total plus any freight charges, without actually transferring the money to your account. After the order is final, either the Credit Card Authorization Phantom or the automated shipping program collects the payment. Potential charges from your credit card processor may apply if you pre-authorize payment from a customer.

Authorize Before Shipment - Authorizes and transfers payment to your account for the order amount before shipping. The pick ticket prints upon authorization.
Reference Only - Uses information on the Credit Card Authorization screen for reference only at the order level.
Authorization After Review - Authorizes and transfers payment to your account for the order amount after the invoice is sent through batch printing and the shipping ticket prints.

Enter the other remaining field information:

Field	Description
Card Number	Credit card number.
Expire Date	Card expiration date. Use the MMYY format; for example, enter 0703 for July 2003.
Card Type	Card type, such as Visa. You can select from a list.
Cardholder	Name of person, exactly as it is printed on the card.
Zip Code	Card holder's zip code.
Street Address	Card holder's street address. You should use address used for credit card billing.
Terms Override	Any different billing terms for using credit card. You can select from a list.
Charge Tax	Override tax-exempt status when using a credit card. Select the check box to override.

Use any of the following to process the information:

To...	Use the following option...
Save the information to the customer file; specify whether to save to bill-to or ship-to account. You can recall the information from a list, and use the same card in future.	File > Save to Customer
Clear the screen so you can enter information.	File > Clear
Display a list of customer's credit cards saved on file.	File > List Cards
Manually enter the three or four digit credit card identification number for use in transactions where the card is not physically present at time of purchase. The number is located on the back of the following credit cards and is referred to differently by each company: VISA - The last three digits of the number printed on the back signature panel of the card called the CVV or Card Validation Value. MasterCard - The last three digits of the number printed on the back of the signature panel of the card called the CVC or Card Validation Code. American Express - A four digit number printed on the front side of the card above the main number referred to as the CID or Card Identification Number.	File > Card Verification Value ID If you try to process the credit card without entering a CVV ID number, the system prompts you to enter the ID.
Saves your changes and exits the window.	File > Exit
Pre-authorize the amount. Use to reserve credit, without debiting the customer's card.	Transaction > Pre-Auth
Authorize the Charge Amount. If successful, the Auth Code field displays the authorization code. If declined, the Status field displays a message.	Transaction > Authorize
Cancel the authorization.	Transaction > Void

Save your changes and exit the window.