Pre-authorisation via Clover PDQ

This article walks through the steps involved in taking and utilising a pre-authorisation via PDQ. Please note this feature is only available within Room Reservations.  Additionally, it is a pre-requisite that FiServ Clover devices are being utilised and these are integrated with the PC/laptop.  Information on setting up the integration of Clover PDQ devices can be found here

Pre-authorisations allow for a certain amount of funds to be 'reserved' on a guest's card.  Values above this amount can be taken when the pre-authorisation is completed however only the pre-authorised amount is guaranteed to be available for use.  If an additional amount above the pre-authorisation is required it is recommended that an addition transaction is made.  The automatic releasing of the hold on funds is not controlled by HART but rather the card scheme (e.g. Visa or Mastercard) and the card issuer (e.g. Natwest).  There are different rules/schemes on the default release of a pre-authorisation however it is not recommend to utilise a pre-authorisation for a stay greater than 7 days.

Ensure the guest is advised the value of the pre-authorisation, as this will reduce the amount of funds they have available on their account. The pre-authorisation helps protect from fraudulent card use and confirms if the cardholders account is valid and has sufficient funds available.  It is not advised to 'low value' pre-authorisation to validate a Card (e.g £0.01) as this is against Card Scheme Rules and could be subject to non-compliance assessments.  Please contact Clover FiServ directly for further information and support.  Additionally it is advised the pre-authorisations are completed within the value that was pre-authorised and additional amount are submitted as an additional transaction.

Taking a pre-authorisation

Via the Deposits tab click the Pre-Auth button to initiate the process, following this enter the value of the pre-auth followed by the Proceed button to initiate the transaction to the PDQ.  Please ensure the Receipt check box is ticked if required:

The guest will then be promoted to complete the authorisation via the PDQ device.

Note: If an incorrect amount or card has been authorised it is possible to Void the authorisation via the Authorisations app on the Clover PDQ device.

A record of pre-authorisations and their status can be sound within the Authorisations tab of the Guest Profile with Green indicating an available authorisation which can be completed on:

Completing a pre-authorisation

Within Reception > Departures a tick in the 'P' column indicates that the pre-authorisation was taken on or after the arrival date, has not been used and can be used against the reservation:

Within the Billing tab of a Room Booking press the Terminal button and enter the amount to be taken followed by Use Auth to make use of the pre-authorisation:

In the following window select the pre-authorisation to be utilised for the transaction after which the selection window will close and press Proceed:

If the authorisation remains valid the transaction will be processed and be added to the bill.

Note: Pre-authorisations can only be used once.  After the pre-auth has been used for any value then it will no longer be available for use.