Authorization holds can fail or be rejected for these reasons:
- Guest’s card has insufficient funds.
- Credit card verification errors (CVV/AVS).
- Card reported lost or stolen.
- Issuing bank flagged unusual activity.
- The reservation's remaining balance is already fully accounted for.
Keep in mind some additional considerations:
- Authorization holds appear as pending transactions on your guest's account
- Banks display holds differently or for varied durations
- Consider reducing the hold amount if it may exceed the guest's limit
Troubleshooting
Follow these steps if you're unable to place an authorization hold.
Step by step:
- Verify that all credit card details are entered correctly.
- Check the hold amount against the guest's available credit limit.
- Review the reservation balance. Holds can't be placed if the balance is covered.
- Ask your guest to contact their bank to verify:
- The card is active and in good standing
- There are no restrictions preventing authorization holds
- The available credit limit is sufficient
If the issue persists, request an alternative payment method from your guest.