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Credit Card Approvals

Some properties check a guest's credit card for an anticipated amount at check-in and then force the exact amount at checkout. This is called Pre-Authorization and Forcing. You must have the credit card interface to do this.

When checking in a guest responsible for paying for their entire stay, authorize the credit card by pressing Get Approval on the Confirm CheckIn screen which appears during the checkin process. The system will default the amount for the entire stay. You can modify the amount if needed. Press Scan Card and swipe/chip/RFID the card through the card reader. This will automatically change the hold type on the folio to Credit Card. If the guest is only leaving a credit card for Incidentals or using two different credit cards, follow the Incidental Approval instructions. The credit card will only be authorized for the amount, no actual charge will take place. Once the approval code is received, it will be stored in roomMaster until the folio is checked out . During the checkout process, the credit card will then be forced using the approval code at check-in but for the exact amount. If the amount of the bill at checkout is more than the approved amount, the approval will be cancelled and a new charge transaction will be made if supported by your processor.

You can take unlimited number of approvals during the guests stay. If during checkout, the charge for the same credit card is the less than or equal to the amount of all approvals, the last approval number will be used. Be aware that most credit card companies only hold pre-authorizations for 72 hours to one week only. You can remove/reduce the authorization, but it is up the processor when and if they release the authorization.

To add more approvals to a guest stay, click on More Options > Credit Approvals and then either Incidental Approval or New Approval.

  • I indicates that this is for an Incidental Approval
  • Date Time indicates the date/time the approval was initiated or increased
  • Initials is the last user who attempted the scan of the card or latest approval
  • Amount is the amount of the approval including any tolerance amount (15%)
  • Code is the approval code passed back from the Merchant or Bank
  • Card Type indicates the Card Type (Process Card Type Code) such as VISA (VS)
  • Card Number is the card number - if it ends with (S), this indicates that the card was Present/Scanned
  • Used indicates that the approval has already been used to settle a transaction
  • Inc's(Increases) indicates the number of successful "Change Approvals" which have occurred on this card.

Hotel Lodging Approvals (15%)​

If your account/merchant ID is setup for hotel lodging, your merchant service provider will most likely approve your transaction with an additional 15%. ($100.00 room charge will approve for $115.00) - The credit card processing will send back to roomMaster both the original amount (the one you entered) and the actual amount allowed by your merchant service provider without getting an additional approval, which is usually an additional 15%. This additional amount (or whatever amount that comes back from your merchant service provider) will appear in the Credit Card Approvals window in roomMaster. This balance is the balance used in the High Balance Report. It is not recommended that this be changed, but to change it, you would have to contact your Merchant Services Provider (MSP) to change this - this is nothing that InnQuest can change for you or has control over.

When you view the approved balance on the website, you will always see the original amount, as roomMaster and the credit card solutions provider need to keep the original approved amount. If the final charge is less than the "ceiling amount", which includes the 15%, the card is not reauthorized and immediately approved. If the final charge is greater than the "ceiling amount", the system will automatically reauthorize the card again and then complete the charge.

If you use Shift4's Dollars on the Net for your credit card processing system and have Signature Capture, you can have your guests sign for their approval at checkin and not need a signature at checkout. The signature is retained electronically at Shift4.

Incidental Approval​

If a guest is using two credit cards (one for business and one for personal) or a personal credit card when the master folio is direct bill (City Ledger), you can press the Incidental Approval button to store a second credit card onto Folio B for incidental charges.

Use these steps when checking in a direct bill customer using a credit card for personal charges:

  1. Checkin guest as normal, but do not scan the incidental credit card on the Checkin Wizard screen. Then press the Print Sign-in Sheet button.

  2. Press Checkin/Guest Ledger and on the Confirm CheckIn window, select the CheckIn button.

  3. When the guest folio appears, press More Options > Credit Approvals and press Incidental Approval.

  4. Press Scan Card and scan the Incidentals/Personal card.

  5. Press Process to get an authorization

These are the steps you should use when checking in a guest with multiple credit cards:

  1. Checkin the guest as normal using CheckIn/Guest Ledger, and get an authorization on the Master credit card.

  2. From the folio, press More Options > Credit Approvals and press Incidental Approval.

  3. Press Scan Card and scan the Incidentals/Personal card.

  4. Press Process to get an authorization

All information for both cards are now stored properly on the Credit Card Approvals screen as well as the More Folios, Folio B properties window. When checking out the guest, the proper credit card is defaulted either for folio A or folio B.

Releasing or Cancelling an Approval​

If a folio is checked out and there are unused credit approvals, the user will be prompted to release the authorization. Selecting yes here will send a cancellation or void for the credit approval to release the hold. An approval may also be released manually under the More Options > Credit Approvals window.

A approval on a reservation does not have the option to manually release the authorization and will only be released if the reservation is cancelled or once transferred to a folio it may then be released.