The following article outlines how to use RoomKeyPAYMENTS Powered By Fullsteam to process a credit card authorization.
A credit card authorization is necessary to check whether a card holder's account holds sufficient funds and is approved to purchase from a merchant. An authorization does not process funds, but rather it places a temporary hold on a specified amount; once the guest reservation is checked out in RoomKeyPMS, this temporary hold is released.
Click below for more information:
- Locate the applicable reservation in the Arrivals screen, Reservations screen, or by using the Search/Advanced Search tools
- Select Check In, the Guest Check-In window will appear and allow the user to review the check in details
- By default, the PMS will process an authorization equal to the room and tax payment for the full guest stay; if incidentals are authorized at the same time, the user can enter the amount for incidentals in the Available Credit field
TIP - to authorize a custom amount for the guest stay, enable the Override default credit checkbox and enter the total amount to be authorized in the Available Credit field
- Once the check in details have been reviewed, select Check-In
- A Fullsteam window will appear; enable the Use Terminal checkbox and select Post
- Insert the guest credit card into the credit card terminal and follow the prompts that appear on the terminal screen
- Once the authorization is completed using the credit card terminal, a Fullsteam window will appear in the PMS with an Approved message and transaction information
- Select Close to complete the process; if the Print Receipt checkbox is enabled, a receipt will be printed
Authorizations can be increased by processing an additional amount, however authorizations cannot be decreased. Alternatively, users can void an original authorization and process a lower authorization amount if desired.
The following instructions are valid for Mastercard, Visa, and Discover. However incremental authorization increases are not applicable to American Express / AMEX.
There are two options to increase an authorization for American Express:
OPTION 1: Settle the existing authorization and then take a new authorization for the desired amount.
OPTION 2: Use the Post Payment button to process payment for the new charges, but leave the existing authorization unchanged so that it will cover the remaining room charges at check-out.
- Locate the guest reservation in the In-House screen, or by using the Search/Advanced Search tools
- Once located, access the Transactions drop-down menu and select Guest Folio Credit Limit. A Guest Folio Credit Limit window will appear
- Enter the additional amount to be authorized in the "+" field (located beside the Available Credit field)
- Select Post to proceed
The original authorization will be modified by the new total amount authorized (it will not take another full authorization; it will just add the additional amount – this is called “incremental authorization”)
- A Fullsteam window will appear allowing the user to review the total authorization (original authorization + incremental authorization) displayed in the Amount field and the applicable credit card information
- Select Post to complete the process
- Once complete, an approved message will appear
- Locate the guest reservation in the Arrivals screen and select Check In
- Within the Guest Check-In window, enable the Disable on-line processing checkbox
- Review the remaining details and select Check-In
Because online credit card processing has been disabled, the Fullsteam processing window will not appear and the guest credit card will remain unauthorized.
- To view unauthorized transactions, access the Transactions drop-down menu and select Unauthorized Transactions. A Credit Card Authorizing window will appear
- To process a credit card authorization from this list of unauthorized transactions, select the applicable transaction (one or more transactions may be selected at the same time) and select Authorize
- Locate the guest reservation in the In-House screen, or by using the Search/Advanced Search tools
- Once located, access the Transactions drop-down menu and select Authorized Transactions
- A window will appear displaying all authorized transactions for the applicable reservation
- Locate the guest reservation in the In-House screen, or by using the Search/Advanced Search tools
- Once located, access the Transactions drop-down menu and select Authorized Transactions. The Authorized transactions window will appear
- Select the applicable transaction and select Void
- A Fullsteam window will appear; review the details and select Post to complete the process
- Locate the guest reservation in the In-House screen, or by using the Search/Advanced Search tools
- Once located, access the Transactions drop-down menu and select Authorized Transactions. The Authorized transactions window will appear
- Select the applicable transaction and select Settle
The amount to be settled must be the same as the folio. If the amount authorized is less than the folio, a warning message will appear.
- The Fullsteam interface window will appear and allow the user to settle the authorization. If authorization was lower than the folio, it will settle for the higher amount.
- Select reservation and click on “Check-Out”
- Click again on “Check Out”
- Fullsteam interface will appear, click on post
- You will get an approval message (the TTID remains the same)
