What Are Authorization and Capture
An online payment happens in two stages:
Authorization (Auth) — the card-issuing bank checks the card, reserves the amount, and signals "OK" to the merchant. Funds are frozen in the account but not physically transferred.
Capture — the merchant initiates the actual fund transfer. This happens later: when the item ships, the service is confirmed, or on a scheduled basis.
The gap between authorization and capture can range from a few hours to 7 days. If something goes wrong specifically at the capture stage, you'll see the authorization in your statement but the payment will never complete.
Why Capture Can Fail After a Successful Auth
Authorization expired. An auth is valid for a limited time (typically 5–7 days for Visa/Mastercard). If the merchant doesn't capture in time, the auth is cancelled.
Insufficient funds at capture time. The card balance changed between auth and capture — other spending or the expiry of a temporary top-up.
Card blocked or expired. Between auth and capture you may have blocked the card or its expiry date passed.
Disposable card already burned. For single-use cards, the authorization itself deactivates the card.
Merchant-side error. A system failure when the merchant sent the capture request.
Amount mismatch. If the merchant tries to capture more than the authorized amount, the bank will decline.
Fix Steps
Step 1. Check your statement. Look for a transaction in "pending" or "on hold" status — this confirms auth succeeded but capture did not.
Step 2. Check the order status with the merchant. The merchant can see whether capture succeeded. Contact support with your order number.
Step 3. Make sure the card has enough funds. If the balance changed, top up the card and ask the merchant to retry the capture.
Step 4. If the card expired or was blocked — update your payment details. Many merchants allow updating payment information in your account without cancelling the order.
Step 5. Wait for the hold to release. If capture never happens, frozen funds are automatically released after 5–7 days.
Step 6. If needed — place a new order. If the merchant can't retry capture, you may need to create a new order.
FAQ
Does a failed capture affect my credit limit? The frozen funds reduce your available limit. Once the hold is released, the limit is automatically restored.
Can the merchant retry capture on their own? Yes, if the authorization is still valid. Once the auth period expires, the merchant must create a new request, and you'll need to re-authorize.
What if the hold doesn't release after 7 days? Contact your card-issuing bank and provide evidence that capture didn't occur (a screenshot of your order status at the merchant). The bank will release the hold manually.
Marix cards support the standard two-step auth+capture flow and are compatible with all major payment processors.