Authorization Date

What Is the Authorization Date?

The authorization date is the date at which a credit or debit card transaction is approved by the credit card issuer. The authorization date is one of the critical stages during the time spent approving and delivering electronic payments.

How the Authorization Date Works

Despite the fact that credit and debit card transactions have turned into a standard part of regular daily existence, these simple payments are made possible by a sophisticated system of computer systems and conventions.

Perhaps of the main stage in this cycle comprises of acquiring authorization for the transaction. Whenever a customer looks to purchase a thing utilizing a card, the seller's point of sale (POS) system will automatically communicate the subtleties of that transaction to a financial institution called a merchant bank. These companies, which are otherwise called "gaining banks," act as the bridge between individual organizations that wish to acknowledge payment via cards and large payment organizations, for example, those worked by Visa (V) and MasterCard (MA).

When the merchant bank has confirmed that the transaction is legitimate, its computer systems will transfer its authorization back to the POS system, making the transaction be approved. On the off chance that the merchant bank discovers that the transaction can't be authorized, either due to lacking funds or for another purpose —, for example, the card being marked for fraud — then it will deny authorization and influence the transaction to be declined.

To make this determination, the merchant bank must request information from the credit card issuer of the person seeking to make the purchase. This company, which is many times a bank, is responsible for getting to the customer's credit and transaction history to decide if the transaction ought to be approved. Expecting the transaction is approved, the authorization date of the transaction would be a similar date at which the customer introduced their card for payment.

Albeit the underlying processes are very complex, the speed of the present computer systems permits transactions to be authorized or declined promptly after the card being introduced by the customer.

Illustration of the Authorization Date

Kyle is endeavoring to purchase a coffee from his local cash safe shop. He endeavors to pay for it utilizing his credit card. Subsequent to embedding the card to the POS terminal and entering his personal identification number, Kyle waits for the terminal to decide if the transaction has been approved.

Behind the scenes, many systems are cooperating to make this transaction possible. The POS terminal initially speaks with the merchant bank, which thusly checks with Kyle's credit card issuer to decide if he has adequate funds accessible. Sadly for Kyle, the issuer confirms that he doesn't have adequate credit to complete the transaction, making the authorization be declined.

In response, Kyle attempts a debit card all things considered. This time, the transaction is authorized. Its authorization date is thusly a similar date at which Kyle made the purchase.

Features

• The authorization date is the date at which a credit or debit card transaction is approved.
• The authorization date is one of the critical stages during the time spent approving and delivering electronic payments.
• Today, payments are authorized or declined promptly after introducing the payment card.