Overview

A pre-authorisation is a hold placed on the guest's credit card before arrival — it secures a deposit without actually charging the card. Once you automate pre-authorisations from your AmenitizPay settings, the system places a hold on the day of arrival based on the rules you define per sales term. You can still create, capture, or release authorisations manually from the reservation's Payments tab or from AmenitizPay → Authorisations. See how to create, capture and release a pre-authorisation for the manual flow.

Before you start

Pre-authorisations only work when the guest pays by credit card. Virtual credit cards (VCC) and bank transfers cannot be pre-authorised.
You'll set the pre-authorisation rules per sales term. If you need a different amount per accommodation, you'll need a separate sales term for each accommodation.

⚠️ Warning

Creating a pre-authorisation on an American Express card will automatically charge the card (Amex doesn't support the hold mechanism).

Step-by-step instructions

First, check which sales term each rate plan is linked to: go to Booking engine → Pricing and open each rate plan you want to cover. The pre-authorisation follows the sales term of the rate plan that was booked, so a rate plan linked to the wrong sales term gets the wrong rule — or none at all.
In your Amenitiz admin, go to AmenitizPay → Settings.
Scroll to the Authorisations section.
Click Edit next to the sales term you want to configure.
Choose the amount to hold — either a fixed value in € or a percentage (%) of the reservation total.
Click Save to apply the rule.
Repeat for each sales term that should have its own pre-authorisation rule.

Authorisations section in AmenitizPay Settings

💡 Tip

The hold is placed automatically on the guest's card on the day of arrival — or straight away if the booking is made on the arrival day itself. It stays valid for up to 30 days (at least 7 days, depending on the card), unless you release or capture it earlier.

Track and manage authorisations

View and manage all pre-authorisations from AmenitizPay → Authorisations. Each entry shows its current status:

Scheduled — the hold is set for a future date.
Authorised — funds are currently held on the card.
Captured — the held amount has been converted into a payment (debited).
Released — the hold expired or was lifted manually, without any charge.
Failed — the authorisation could not be completed (insufficient funds, invalid card).
Cancelled — the authorisation was cancelled manually.
Authentication required — the cardholder must verify their identity (typically via 3D Secure) before the hold can complete.

📌 Note

If a hold wasn't enabled when the booking was made, you can still add one from the reservation's Payments tab. If a bank releases the hold before the guest checks out, you can also create a new pre-authorisation from the same place.

FAQs

How do pre-authorisations work with Booking.com and Airbnb?

Booking.com — if AmenitizPay manages the payment, the pre-authorisation is applied automatically. See automating payments for Booking.com with AmenitizPay. If not, you need to add the card and create the authorisation manually.

Airbnb — configured via your Airbnb connection settings. See how to change Airbnb settings.

Will the guest see the pre-authorisation on their bank statement?

It depends on the guest's bank. Some banks don't show holds at all; others list them as a pending transaction without an actual charge.

What happens if the pre-authorisation fails?

If the card has insufficient funds, is invalid, or doesn't support holds at all (as with some prepaid cards), the pre-authorisation will fail and you'll be notified in Amenitiz. Contact the guest to provide a new card.

Are the guest's card details safe during the hold?

Yes. All AmenitizPay transactions are encrypted and PCI-compliant, so the guest's card details stay protected during the hold.

Can I set different pre-authorisation amounts per accommodation?

Yes — rules are per sales term, so to vary the amount per accommodation you need a dedicated sales term for each accommodation. Then go to AmenitizPay → Settings → Authorisations and click Edit on each sales term to set its own amount.

The booking didn't have a card on file — can I still take a pre-authorisation?

Yes. For manual bookings, send a zero-amount payment link to the guest to securely collect their card details. Then you can create the pre-authorisation manually from the reservation's Payments tab.

How long does the hold last?

Up to 30 days, with a minimum of 7 days — the exact duration depends on the guest's card. The hold is placed automatically on the day of arrival. Once it's released, the amount can no longer be captured: you'd need to take a new payment instead.

How do I charge the held amount if there's damage?

Capture it before the hold is released. Open the reservation, go to its Payments tab, and capture all or part of the held amount. See How to create, capture and release a pre-authorisation. If you do nothing, the hold is released automatically and the guest isn't charged.

How to automate AmenitizPay Pre-authorisations