Credit card authorisation links are designed for bookings that do not yet have a credit card on file.
Authorisation Links allow you to obtain the guest's explicit approval for a specific authorisation you want to place on their credit card (for example, a deposit, pre‑stay guarantee, or no‑show/late cancellation protection).
By sending an Authorisation Link, the guest securely enters their card details and confirms that your hotel may reserve or charge an agreed amount under your terms and conditions. This creates a clear, auditable consent trail and ensures the booking is financially guaranteed when no payment has been made upfront, reducing the risk of no‑shows, revenue loss, and later disputes or chargebacks.
Follow below steps to send a link to the guest:
- Open the booking page for the reservation you want to send the credit card authorisation link for:
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Go to the General Details section > Booker:
- You can identify bookings without stored credit card details by the credit card icon with a plus (+) sign:
- Click on this credit card icon. A pop-up will appear > click on the Add card via Link button:
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Verify that the correct E-mail address is provided:
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Optionally (recommended) , add a personalised message:
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Send the authorisation link to the booker by clicking on the Send button at the bottom:
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The booker will receive an email that includes a button to complete the credit card authorisation, along with the guided message you entered.
N.B:
(The default email template will be used and contains all the base information. If you have not created a custom template, it is recommendable to do so. Check our article on that subject: How to create a new email template?)
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When the Card Authorisation is clicked, the system triggers two‑factor verification so the guest explicitly agrees that the hotel may use their credit card. The card will be stored in the booking.
☝️Please note
No automatic authorisation is performed at this stage. After the guest has given consent via the Card Authorisation Link and the card is stored on the booking, it is the hotel’s responsibility to manually authorise the card.
Below video will illustrate what happens when guests clicks the button in the received email: