How a payment capture works
An authorisation only reserves the amount on the card. The capture is a second message, sent through the gateway to the acquirer, that turns the reservation into a charge and enters the payment into clearing and settlement.
A capture is automatic, sent the moment the authorisation is approved, or manual, sent later by the merchant for the full amount or part of it. An authorisation that will not be used is reversed, which frees the cardholder's funds.
How long a merchant has to capture
The schemes limit the gap. In the Visa Core Rules of 18 April 2026, an acquirer processes a cardholder-initiated card-absent transaction within 10 calendar days of the authorisation, and merchant-initiated and most card-present transactions within 5 (5.7.3.5). Longer periods apply in some cases, such as 30 days for lodging and vehicle rental with an estimated authorisation.
Mastercard's Transaction Processing Rules of 9 June 2026 set a protection period against authorisation-related chargebacks: 30 calendar days from a preauthorisation, and 7 from a final authorisation for a purchase (2.8). The issuer releases any hold on the cardholder's account when the period ends, at the latest.
Why capture timing matters
Merchants that ship goods capture on dispatch, hotels and car hire firms capture on departure, and digital sellers capture at once. A platform's order logic tracks the age of each authorisation, captures or reverses in time, and handles the capture that fails.
Capture, authorisation or settlement?
- Authorisation
- The issuer's approval and the reservation of the amount. No money moves.
- Void
- Cancels an authorisation before capture. After capture, money goes back by refund.
- Settlement
- The transfer of money between issuer, scheme, acquirer and merchant that follows the clearing of captured payments.
Where a capture shows up in a platform
Modules that do the work
- Card acquiringCard acceptance on the phone, in store and online, through the acquirer you choose.
- CheckoutA hosted checkout for cards, wallets, bank payments and crypto, routed to the best provider.
- LedgerThe double-entry book of record behind every balance, fee and transfer.
Platforms that need it
Where it is written
The laws and standards this page's facts come from.
- Visa Core Rules and Visa Product and Service Rules, 18 April 2026: 5.7.3.5 (Visa)
- Mastercard Transaction Processing Rules, 9 June 2026: 2.8 (Mastercard)
General information, not legal advice: what applies to you depends on your services and your market.