Create a Down Payment

A down payment authorizes a customer's card without collecting funds. You can later capture the hold to collect the money, or release it to void the hold. This guide walks through the full lifecycle.

Prerequisites

• An existing booking in any status.
• A connected Stripe account (see Set Up Stripe).
• Appropriate user permissions to add payments.

Authorize a Card (Place a Hold)

1. Open the booking from Dashboard > Bookings or the calendar.
2. Click Add Payment.
3. Select Card as the payment type.
4. Enter the amount to authorize and click Next.
5. On the payment type screen, select Authorize Only. An amber banner confirms that funds will not be collected.
6. Choose Use New Card or Use Saved Card.
7. Complete the card details (or select the saved card).

On success, you will see a confirmation: "Authorization hold placed for $X.XX". The hold appears in the booking's payment history with an authorized status (amber badge).

What Happens on the Customer's Side

The customer sees a pending charge on their card statement for the authorized amount. This is a hold, not a charge. If released, the pending charge disappears (timing depends on the customer's bank, usually 1--5 business days).

Capture a Down Payment

Capturing converts the authorization hold into a real charge and collects the funds.

1. Open the booking and go to the Payments tab.
2. Find the transaction with the authorized status badge.
3. Click the Capture button (green dollar icon).
4. A confirmation dialog shows the amount. Click OK to proceed.

On success:

• The transaction status changes from authorized to succeeded.
• The booking balance is reduced by the captured amount.
• A CardCaptured event is logged in the booking's audit trail.

Partial Capture

You can capture less than the authorized amount. For example, if you authorized $500 and only need to charge $200, adjust the capture amount accordingly. The remaining $300 hold is automatically released by Stripe.

You cannot capture more than the original authorized amount.

Release an Authorization

Releasing voids the hold and frees the customer's funds without charging them.

1. Open the booking and go to the Payments tab.
2. Find the transaction with the authorized status badge.
3. Click the Release button (X icon).
4. A confirmation dialog asks you to confirm. Click OK to proceed.

On success:

• The transaction status changes from authorized to released.
• The booking balance is not affected (no money was ever collected).
• A CardAuthorizationReleased event is logged in the booking's audit trail.

Important: 7-Day Expiry

Stripe authorizations expire after 7 days for most card networks. If you do not capture or release within that window:

• The hold is automatically released by Stripe.
• The customer's funds are freed.
• You will not be able to capture the payment.

If you need to collect funds after the authorization expires, you must create a new payment.

Authorize vs. Collect -- Which to Choose?

Tips

• Capture promptly. Don't let authorizations sit for days. The 7-day window is a hard limit from Stripe and card networks. Capture or release as soon as you know the outcome.
• Accidental authorization is low-risk. If you accidentally authorize instead of collecting, simply capture the payment right away. No refund is needed.
• Accidental capture is higher-risk. If you accidentally capture when you meant to authorize, you will need to issue a refund, and excessive refunds can trigger Stripe review. Take care when selecting between Collect Payment and Authorize Only.
• Check the status badge. Authorized payments show an amber authorized badge in the transaction list. Captured payments show green succeeded. Released payments show gray released.

What to Do Next

• Process a Payment -- Collect a standard card payment or record a manual payment.
• Issue a Refund -- Refund a captured payment if needed.
• Create an Invoice -- Send a payment link to collect the remaining balance online.