Partial Authorization allows a transaction to be approved for an amount less than the requested amount when the cardholder's available credit is insufficient. This feature is particularly useful for merchants who want to maximize payment acceptance. It is available for U.S. transactions and supports debit cards and prepaid cards for the following card types:

• MasterCard
• Discover
• Diners Club
• JCB
• American Express
• Visa

• Available Credit Usage: If the card has insufficient funds, a partial authorization for the available amount can be approved.
• Multiple Payment Methods: Merchants can use multiple payment methods to complete the transaction.
• Customer Notification: Inform customers if only a partial authorization was possible.

1. Request Setup:
   • Send a transaction request to Authorize.net.
   • If the response indicates insufficient funds, the system will return an approved partial amount.
2. Handling Partial Authorization Responses:
   • Check the response for responseReasonCode and responseReasonDescription.
   • Use authAmount to identify the approved partial amount.
   • Prompt the customer for an additional payment method if needed.
3. Transaction Completion:
   • Combine the partial authorization amount with additional payment methods to complete the transaction.
   • Ensure the total amount matches the original requested amount.

1. Initial Transaction: Request $100.
2. Partial Approval: Card has $60 available; authorize $60.
3. Customer Notification: Inform the customer $40 is pending.
4. Additional Payment: Customer provides another card for the remaining $40.
5. Complete Transaction: Combine both authorizations to complete the $100 transaction.

• Clear Communication: Make sure customers are aware of partial authorization and the need for additional payment methods.
• System Preparedness: Ensure your system can handle multiple payment methods and partial authorizations seamlessly.

• Merchant Interface: Enable Partial Authorization in Transaction Settings.
• API Request: Include a specific field in the initial request to enable partial authorization.

API Implementation and Integration

• Allow Partial Auth - This will enable the transactions for partial auth capabilities.  Please remember the API *will always* trump the Merchant Interface settings.  If the shopping cart or software is passing this variable, it will not matter what is selected in the Merchant Interface settings.
• Split Tender ID - This is the ID that represents the partially authorized order.  The shopping cart can use this value to allow the customer to submit a secondary form of payment through the shopping cart.
• Prior Auth Capture - The merchant can submit a prior auth capture transaction if they would like to capture the existing transaction and disregard the unauthorized amount.

Partial Authorization FAQs

• What happens if the second payment method also has insufficient funds?
  • The process will repeat until the full amount is authorized or the transaction is declined.
• Can partial authorization be disabled?
  • Yes, merchants can configure their system to decline transactions if full authorization is not possible.