You rent out an e-bike, hire out equipment or take a booking: you want a guarantee, but you do not yet know how much you will actually collect. That is exactly what a pre-authorisation is for. Here is how it works, with an example in francs.<\/p>\n
With a pre-authorisation the amount is blocked<\/strong> on the customer’s card but not charged<\/strong>. You collect it later, in full or in part, once you know the exact sum. The part you do not collect becomes available to the customer again.<\/p>\n It differs from a normal payment, where the money comes to you straight away, and from a refund, where you first collect and then give back.<\/p>\n You rent out an e-bike for CHF 60.- and block CHF 300.- as a deposit. The customer brings it back intact: you collect CHF 60.- and release the rest. If the bike comes back damaged, you also collect the part of the deposit you need, without having to ask for a second payment.<\/p>\n For a normal advance payment, a single payment is enough: the customer pays the advance and the money is yours.<\/p>\n If you do not collect, the block expires on its own after a period set by the customer’s bank, usually between 7 and 30 days. So it is best to collect as soon as you know the amount: after expiry you would have to ask for a new payment.<\/p>\n Worth remembering<\/p>\n A pre-authorisation guarantees the money is there at the moment of the block. If you wait too long and the block expires, the guarantee is gone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In almost all 1pay.ch tools you will find the payment type<\/strong> option: choose the pre-authorisation instead of the one-off payment.<\/p>\n Which methods support it<\/p>\nAn example in francs<\/h2>\n
When it is worth using<\/h2>\n
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How long the block lasts<\/h2>\n
How to use it with 1pay.ch<\/h2>\n
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