Capture

Capture is the transaction step that instructs the Acquirer and payment network to proceed with collecting the authorized funds, converting the authorization hold into a confirmed charge that will be included in the next Settlement cycle. Until a transaction is captured, no funds have moved; capture is the action that sets the money movement in motion.

In many payment integrations, capture happens automatically and immediately as part of the same API call as Authorization, a pattern called "auth and capture" or "sale." The merchant submits one request, the authorization is approved, and capture is simultaneously triggered. From the cardholder's perspective, the charge appears on their statement immediately. This is the most common flow for standard e-commerce, point-of-sale, and subscription payments where the goods or services are delivered immediately upon payment.

In other scenarios, authorization and capture are deliberately separated, a pattern called "auth/capture" or "authorize now, capture later." The merchant authorizes at the time of order to reserve the funds, then captures only when ready to fulfill: when goods ship, when a hotel stay is complete, when a car rental is returned. This deferred capture model is standard in hospitality, travel, and marketplace businesses where the final charge amount may differ from the authorized amount or where fulfillment confirmation is required before charging.

The deferred model carries a timing risk: authorization holds expire. Card network rules vary on hold duration, typically 7 days for most transactions but up to 30 days for some categories (hotels, airlines, car rentals). If the merchant attempts to capture after the hold has expired, the issuer may decline the capture, requiring reauthorization. Payment systems handling deferred capture must track authorization timestamps and reauthorize before expiry.