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Credit Card Release Authorization (grid page)

Billing and night audit · Updated

On this page
  1. Before you start
  2. Screen layout
  3. How to release holds
  4. What happens behind the scenes
  5. Messages you may see
  6. Tips and FAQ

When a guest's card is held (authorized) and the guest then checks out without the hold being converted into a payment, the money stays blocked on the guest's card. This page lists such holds on folios that are already checked out and releases them so the guest gets their available credit back. It is the Billing menu page; the integration chapter describes the same function from the gateway side (Release Authorization).

Credit Card Release Authorization

Before you start

  • Holds exist: payments made with Authorized Payment (Reservation Authorization) or taken as an authorization on the folio.
  • A payment type of the Credit Card category and a base-currency exchange rate exist.
  • The gateway (SunPG) is configured (Payment Gateway).

Screen layout

Credit Card Release Authorization with the check out date filter and the Release button

Choose a check-out date, press Find, tick the payments and press Release.

This screen uses the standard search-first list layout: a dark Filters band on top, then a full-width table with Search in the list, a column filter button, Columns, sortable headings and a paging bar (rows become cards on phones). The common parts are explained in Search-first list screens; the fields and columns specific to this screen are listed below. Filter panel

Filter / button What it means Rules
CheckOut Date Date used to limit the list. Cannot be later than the PMS date. Starts on the PMS date.
Dispay All Transactions (spelled this way on screen) Tick to see every open hold; untick to see only recent ones. Unticked shows holds from the last 90 days.
Find Loads the list with the current filters.
Reset Sets the date to the PMS date, unticks the box and reloads.

Button:Release (above the list).

List columns: a tick box, Folio #, Receipt #, Payment Date, Room, Guest, Date In, Date Out, Auth Amount, Auth. Release Amount, Balance Auth. Amount. Every column has a small filter box (date and number columns offer =, > and <). A search box above the list searches all columns. The foot shows the number of records and the page selector.

The list contains authorizations on folios that are already checked out where the held amount is greater than the amount already released.

How to release holds

  1. Check CheckOut Date (and Dispay All Transactions if you need older holds) and click Find.
  2. Tick the rows (the header box selects the page). Clicking on a row itself selects only that row.
  3. Click Release.
  4. A window says Process completed successfully. and the list reloads. Result: for each ticked row the authorization payment on the folio is marked deleted, and the gateway voids the hold with the card processor using the original transaction. The released row disappears from the list.

What happens behind the scenes

  • For each row the PMS reloads the folio and saves a deletion of the authorization payment for the full authorized amount, stamped with your user, today's PMS date and time and your shift.
  • The release is sent to the gateway, which cancels the hold; banks can take several days to show the credit on the guest's statement.
  • Night audit does this by itself when "Auto release checked-out guest authorized amount" is on (Night Audit Setting).

Messages you may see

Message (exact text) Why it appears What to do
Please select atleast one or more (s) to make payment. Release with nothing ticked (the wording is the same as on the authorization page). Tick at least one row.
Process completed successfully. The run ended (also when a row failed). Find again; a row that failed is still listed, so try it again or contact support.
(server error text) Loading the list failed. Retry.

Tips and FAQ

  • Q: Does Release refund money? A: No. A hold is not a payment; nothing was collected. Release only cancels the block.
  • Q: I see a hold older than 90 days. A: Tick Dispay All Transactions and click Find.
  • Q: The guest still sees the hold on the card. A: Banks show the release after a few days. If it is still there after five working days, ask the bank, quoting the folio and receipt numbers.
  • Q: Why is a folio I know about not listed? A: The guest has not checked out, or the hold was already released or converted to a payment.