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Pre-Authorization

This section provides the information you need in order to process a pre-authorization.

A pre-authorization enables you to authorize a payment when the final amount is unknown. The system places the funds on hold until you request a follow-up transaction. Pre-authorizations are typically used for lodging, auto rental, e-commerce, and restaurant transactions.

IMPORTANT

Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) rules in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) require the initial pre-authorization to use strong customer authentication for merchants or customers in PSD2-applicable countries.

When you have a specific merchant category code (MCC) assigned to your account, you are allowed to capture up to 20% more than the cumulatively authorized amount on Visa, Diners, Discover, and JCB cards. Contact your account manager to have your account enabled for this option.

For a pre-authorization:

The authorization amount is greater than zero.

Submit the authorization for capture within 30 calendar days of its request.

When you do not capture the authorization, reverse it.

In the US, Canada, Latin America, and Asia Pacific, Mastercard charges an additional fee for a pre-authorization that is not captured and not reversed.

In Europe, Russia, Middle East, and Africa, Mastercard charges fees for all pre-authorizations.

Chargeback protection is in effect for 30 days after the authorization.

All supported card types can process pre-authorizations.

Endpoint

Production:

POST https://api.visaacceptance.com/pts/v2/payments

Test:

POST https://apitest.visaacceptance.com/pts/v2/payments

Required Fields for a Pre-Authorization

Use these required fields for processing a pre-authorization.

orderInformation.amountDetails.currency
orderInformation.amountDetails.totalAmount
orderInformation.billTo.address1
orderInformation.billTo.administrativeArea
orderInformation.billTo.country
orderInformation.billTo.email
orderInformation.billTo.firstName
orderInformation.billTo.lastName
orderInformation.billTo.locality
orderInformation.billTo.postalCode
paymentInformation.card.expirationMonth
paymentInformation.card.expirationYear
paymentInformation.card.number
processingInformation.authorizationOptions.authIndicator processingInformation.authorizationOptions.authIndicator: Set the value to
0
.

Country-Specific Required Fields for Processing a Pre-Authorization

Use these country-specific required fields to process a pre-authorization.

Argentina

merchantInformation.taxId: Required for Mastercard transactions.

merchantInformation.transactionLocalDateTime: Required in Argentina when the time zone is not included in your account. Otherwise, this field is optional.

Brazil

paymentInformation.card.sourceAccountType: Required for combo card transactions.
paymentInformation.card.sourceAccountTypeDetails: Required for combo card line-of-credit and prepaid-card transactions.

Chile

merchantInformation.taxId: Required for Mastercard transactions.

Egypt

paymentInformation.card.cardType: Required for Meeza transactions. Set the value to
067
.
merchantInformation.merchantDescriptor.country: Required for Meeza transactions. Set the value to
EG
.

Paraguay

merchantInformation.taxId: Required for Mastercard transactions.

Saudi Arabia

processingInformation.authorizationOptions.transactionMode: Required only for merchants in Saudi Arabia.

Taiwan

paymentInformation.card.hashedNumber: Required only for merchants in Taiwan.

REST Example: Processing a Pre-Authorization

Request

{
  "clientReferenceInformation" : {
    "code" : "Pre-Auth"
  },
  "orderInformation" : {
    "billTo" : {
      "country" : "US",
      "lastName" : "Doe",
      "address1" : "201 S. Division St.",
      "postalCode" : "48104-2201",
      "locality" : "Ann Arbor",
      "administrativeArea" : "MI",
      "firstName" : "Joan",
      "phoneNumber" : "999999999",
      "email" : "[email protected]"
    },
    "amountDetails" : {
      "totalAmount" : "100.00",
      "currency" : "usd"
    }
  },
  "paymentInformation" : {
    "card" : {
      "expirationYear" : "2031",
      "number" : "4111111111111111",
      "securityCode" : "123",
      "expirationMonth" : "12",
      "type" : "001"
    }
  },
"processingInformation": {
    "authorizationOptions": {
      "authIndicator": "0"
    }
  }
}

Response to a Successful Request

{
  "_links" : {
    "authReversal" : {
      "method" : "POST",
      "href" : "/pts/v2/payments/7709386742016723603091/reversals"
    },
    "self" : {
      "method" : "GET",
      "href" : "/pts/v2/payments/7709386742016723603091"
    },
    "capture" : {
      "method" : "POST",
      "href" : "/pts/v2/payments/7709386742016723603091/captures"
    }
  },
  "clientReferenceInformation" : {
    "code" : "Pre-Auth"
  },
  "id" : "7709386742016723603091",
  "orderInformation" : {
    "amountDetails" : {
      "authorizedAmount" : "100.00",
      "currency" : "usd"
    }
  },
  "paymentAccountInformation" : {
    "card" : {
      "type" : "001"
    }
  },
  "paymentInformation" : {
    "tokenizedCard" : {
      "type" : "001"
    },
    "card" : {
      "type" : "001"
    }
  },
  "pointOfSaleInformation" : {
    "terminalId" : "04980992"
  },
  "processorInformation" : {
    "paymentAccountReferenceNumber" : "V0010013018036776997406844475",
    "merchantNumber" : "6817027800",
    "approvalCode" : "100",
    "cardVerification" : {
      "resultCodeRaw" : "3",
      "resultCode" : "2"
    },
    "merchantAdvice" : {
      "code" : "00",
      "codeRaw" : "0"
    },
    "networkTransactionId" : "123456789012345",
    "transactionId" : "123456789012345",
    "responseCode" : "0",
    "avs" : {
      "code" : "U",
      "codeRaw" : "00"
    }
  },
  "status" : "AUTHORIZED",
  "submitTimeUtc" : "2026-02-12T23:24:34Z"
}

Response to a Declined Request

{
  "clientReferenceInformation": {
    "code": "TC50171_3"
  },
  "errorInformation": {
    "reason": "PROCESSOR_ERROR",
    "message": "Invalid account"
  },
  "id": "6583553837826789303954",
  "paymentInsightsInformation": {
    "responseInsights": {
      "categoryCode": "01",
      "category": "ISSUER_WILL_NEVER_APPROVE"
    }
  },
  "pointOfSaleInformation": {
    "amexCapnData": "1009S0600100"
  },
  "processorInformation": {
    "systemTraceAuditNumber": "004544",
    "merchantNumber": "1231231222",
    "networkTransactionId": "431736869536459",
    "transactionId": "431736869536459",
   "responseCode": "111",
    "avs": {
      "code": "Y",
      "codeRaw": "Y"
    }
  },
  "status": "DECLINED"
}