Stayntouch PMS 
[NEW!] Smarter Payment Management: Choose When To Release Holds
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Credit Card Authorization Hold Settings
- NEW: You can now set how long to hold unused credit card authorizations after checkout
- Where to find it: Navigate to Settings > Reservation Settings > DELAY UNUSED CC AUTH BY
- Options available:
- None (release immediately—default setting)
- Hold for 12 hours
- Hold for 24 hours
- Hold for 48 hours
- Hold for 72 hours
- Why it's useful: Gives you flexibility to keep authorizations active in case guests return or have additional charges, helping with cash flow management
- Note: When a guest settles their bill or makes a payment at check-out, the credit card authorization will be released—even if this setting is enabled. If any portion of the authorization is used to settle charges, the remaining balance of the authorization will also be released.
Use Case Scenarios
When you add a credit card to a reservation, there are a few ways to hold the authorization after check-out:
1. Once this setting is enabled, if you add a credit card authorization at the time of check-in and then check out the reservation, the unused authorization will not be released (for the specified number of hours per your setting after check-out).
2.If payment is collected to settle the bill at check-out, any unused authorization will be released. However, if the guest checks out without settlement, the authorization will remain in place for the specified number of hours.
If you add a credit card authorization at the time of check-in, and the card is used to settle any amount (payment taken), the entire amount will be released.
If your intention is to hold the authorization, you should select the CHECK OUT WITHOUT SETTLEMENT checkbox and then click REVIEW BILL 1 AND COMPLETE CHECK-OUT. No payment will be made during check-out; however, the authorization will be held for you to add additional charges and complete check-out with settlement at a later time. Authorizations will automatically be released after the designated number of hours. If no duration is specified, the authorization will be released when the reservation is checked out as CHECK OUT WITHOUT SETTLEMENT. As a best practice, it’s important to settle open reservations by the end of each day to avoid accumulation on a daily basis.
3. Another way to hold the authorization is if you want to make a payment for the charge on Bill #1 and still hold authorization, you can instead create a second bill and add the same credit card to that bill. You can then go back to the stay card and click the CC AUTH button to add a second authorization with the same credit card, which has been added to Bill #2. This will allow you to make the payment for the charge on Bill #1 during check-out, while also holding additional authorization for the credit card on Bill #2.
Please note, in this scenario, the guest will technically be authorized for incidental charges (or any desired hold amount) on Bill #2 twice during their stay. If the second authorization is not used by applying a payment against it, it will automatically be released after the configured time period following checkout.
