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

Card Processing 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 Chargebacks Resulting from Processing Transactions for which Authorization was Declined

How to Manage ‘No Authorization’ Chargebacks

How to Manage Transaction Authorizations for Discover Cards

Image credit: Pcmweb.nl.