Card Transaction

Depending on your business needs, CentralPay offers various unit transaction modes via its Transaction API service.

Please note, you must first manage the collection of your customer’s card data by creating a Custom Form payment form and integrating 3DS 2.0 authentication.

The basic principles of a card transaction are described in the general information section.

1. Authorization and instant capture

To perform a simple card payment (authorization then instant capture):

• Create a Transaction by setting the “source” parameter to “EC”

2. Authorization and deferred capture

This transaction mode can be useful if you wish to block your customer’s funds before definitively debiting them, for example, during order validation. This allows you to cancel the operation without being subject to transaction or refund fees.

To perform a card payment with deferred capture (authorization then deferred capture), you must:

• Perform an authorization by setting the “capture” parameter of the Transaction to “false”. Funds will thus be blocked on the customer’s card
• Then debit the desired amount by initiating a capture on the received transactionId, specifying the desired amount (“amount”)

You have 7 calendar days following the authorization to perform the capture; otherwise, the customer’s funds will be released.

3. Pre-authorization and deferred capture

The pre-authorization and deferred capture service (or security deposit / PLBS) allows for a pre-authorization of a certain amount, which you can then capture partially or fully within 30 days. During this period, funds are guaranteed to you, as they are blocked on the card and cannot be used by your customer.

This service is only accessible to certain authorized activities (vehicle or equipment rentals, hospitality, etc.).

To perform a pre-authorization and deferred capture, you must:

• Perform a pre-authorization by setting the “source” parameter of the Transaction to “DP”. Funds will thus be blocked on the customer’s card
• Then debit the desired amount by initiating a capture on the received “transactionId”, specifying the desired amount (“amount”)

You have 30 calendar days following the authorization to perform the capture; otherwise, the customer’s funds will be released.

4. Card verification (secure imprint)

The card imprint & verification service allows for a €0 authorization with cardholder authentication (3DS 2.0). This provides you with information regarding your customer’s card (debit, credit, prepaid, etc.) and ensures it is not fraudulent (card not stolen, cardholder identified, etc.). This service is generally used to register a card with 3DS for a subscription with a deferred start date.

To perform a card imprint and verification (€0 authorization without capture), you must:

• Create a Transaction by setting the “source” parameter to “RI”
• We also recommend creating a “customer” during the transaction to associate the generated “cardId” and allow for a potential subsequent debit of this card

5. Card debit only (MO/TO)

The MOTO (Mail Order / Telephone Order) payment service allows for an authorization followed by a capture of a card without the cardholder being present. It is generally used by hotels to debit additional services or consumption at the end of a stay.

Please note, this service is only accessible to certain authorized activities (hospitality, etc.) and has shown increasingly lower conversion results since the PSD2 directive, as it does not allow for cardholder authentication.

To perform a MOTO payment, you must:

• Create a Transaction by setting the “source” parameter to “MO” (Mail Order) or “TO” (Telephone Order)

6. One-click card payment

One-click card payment consists of saving your customer’s card data so they can pay for their order without having to re-enter it. The customer’s card(s) are securely stored in the CentralPay Customer. In this context, it is necessary to allow your customer to select the card they wish to use or to add a new card.

To perform a one-click card payment, you must:

• Select the “One-click” option in the point of sale configuration
• Ensure that your Customers have a card linked to their profile