« Back to Glossary Index

Preapproval Authorization performed over the phone by a Merchant to verify funds on a card holder’s credit card or the validity of a customer credit card prior to charging the transaction. This is often done when a credit card terminal is not working or the phone or network connection is down, preventing an electronic approval. Note that this guarantees funds to merchant for up to 30 days and places a hold on the customer’s funds for 10-21 days unless the authorization is Voided. This is NOT the same as processing the transaction and will not result in a sale until this is followed by a Forced Authorization and Settlement of the Batch.
To do a Voice Authorization, you will require the Voice Auth phone number from your Processor, your Merchant ID number (MID#), the credit card number, expiration date and the purchase amount. Once approved, you should save the Approval Code as you will need this to complete the sale later on your terminal, POS, software, online or directly with your Processor. The call may or may not be with a live operator, as it could be an automated service requiring touch tone prompts or utilizing voice recognition.

« Back to Glossary Index