Transaction Authorization Resources
Authorization is the process through which a card issuer approves or declines a card transaction. Whether the payment information is accepted in a face-to-face or card-not-present environment, the merchant sends it to the card issuer through the respective Credit Card Association’s (or Discover’s or American Express’, if it is not a bank card) payment processing system and then the card issuer’s response is routed back through the same channel.
Use the resources on this page to learn how the authorization process works, when to request one, how to do it, and how to manage the issuer’s response.
Transaction Authorization Basics
Transaction Authorization Process
Transaction Authorization Guides
Managing the E-Commerce Authorization Process
Managing Card-Present Transaction Authorizations
Handling E-Commerce Transaction Authorization Responses
Guidelines for Authorizing Credit Card Transactions at Restaurants
How to Process Zero-Percent-Tip Credit Card Transaction Authorizations
How to Manage Chargebacks Resulting from Declined Authorizations
Managing E-Commerce Credit Card Transaction Post-Authorizations
How to Manage Chargebacks Resulting from Processing Transactions without Authorization
How to Manage ‘No Authorization’ Chargebacks
How to Manage Transaction Authorizations for Discover Cards
Learn how to lower your card acceptance cost
Learn how to accept credit and debit cards at the lowest processing costs. The Payment Card Acceptance kit contains a video and an e-book:
- Video – Card Acceptance Best Practices for Lowest Processing Costs (18 min).
- E-Book – Payment Card Acceptance Guide (19 pages).
