Beating a Dead Horse but it needs to be: Preauthorization

[FarmAndBar]

We need to be able to preauthorize credit cards when running a tab. Period.  We really enjoyed the low buy in and easy menu development and a couple of the other features, but a bar/restaurant needs to be able to run a tab and preauthorize a credit card.  I've gone back and looked at conversations about it and it appears that this has been a CONSTANT request by users that has gone ignored.

I'd like to know why it isn't available.

[#2]

So sorry for the confusion here, @Amanda_Bierock @FarmAndBar and others!

Pre-Authorization recently became available to all users of Square for Restaurants (Free, Premium, and Plus), and you should be able to turn in on by following the instructions in this support article, via the Dashboard and device settings.

Enable and Configure Pre-Authorization Bar Tabs

If you are using Square for Restaurants and aren't able to enable Pre-Auth by following these steps, please reach out to our support team for assistance.

For businesses that use Square Point of Sale, there is not currently a way to access Pre-Authorization.  While we did run a Beta test last year for Pre-Authorization on Point of Sale, it has been discontinued and Square for Restaurants is the only application that currently supports this functionality.

The team developing Pre-Authorization decided last summer to focus their efforts on Pre-Auth within Square for Restaurants and discontinued the Beta and development of Pre-Auth for Point of Sale.

Some testers who participated in the Point of Sale Beta we ran last year may still have access via their open tickets settings on individual devices (like @ryanwanner) but accounts that were not enrolled in that Beta feature last summer can no longer be added.

@nika I hope this context is helpful when these questions come up - it can be confusing because at times we had a POS Beta on the way.  It's understandable when it's been a request for so long 🙂

Andy
Beta Specialist

[#3]

Hello all! We are so excited to let the community know that this feature is now available for Square for Restaurants! For more information on enabling and configuring preauthorization for bar tabs, check out this help article. Respond here if you have any questions, and thanks for your patience while our team built this out. We appreciate you!

️ Kristen
Square Community Manager
Product Engagement

[#4]

Pre-Authorization for Bar Tabs Update ⭐
Hi everyone - I'm Hadley, from the F&B product team. First of all, thank you SO MUCH for continuing to share all the feedback here over the years, we know how important the Bar Tabs feature is. For anyone who is not aware, this feature is currently in beta in the US for Square for Restaurants POS. 

➡️ You can join the beta community here and our beta team will enable feature to your account. You can find the support article for getting set up on RST POS here. 

As a reminder, when a feature is in beta, there is still some engineering work happening to iron out the smaller bugs and optimizing the experience for our sellers and their customers. If you choose to participate in the beta testing, please share any feedback (good or bad 😄) to our beta team at [email protected] so we can learn how it is working for you and your staff.  

Thank you!

[CarlooHeartsBee]

Not only has the request been there for several years, they’ve told their customers it is coming. My customer rep told me in December of 2018 that it would be available Q4 2019, I’ve since added another business and purchased three more square stands with the plan that this feature is available.

Now switching companies in January after a terrible baffle by their team. Need to ge through busy season.

Beware of ordering new iPads through them. They sent incompatible iPads.

A simple google search gives yuh the companies that offer Pre-Auth at same rates.

[ndb_bakery]

I found PayAnywhere's website about this topic https://www.payanywhere.com/help/article/36  

Thanks for sharing -- I will definitely be checking them out.

Square needs to get on the pre-authorization band wagon!

[Bar2]

This is it can't wait for Square anymore, Payanywhere  has exactly what bar and Restaurant owners need. I signed up for a new account and free chip reader. Square charged me for my chip reader. Payanywhere is a little cheaper but not the reason I am leaving. We Absolutely MUST have the ability to start a tab and check the credit card. It is very risky what we have been doing. Waiting till the end and hope the card goes through! I would of stayed with Square but they have no time table and false promises to add this . 

[WirlNet]

I am also very interested in the ability to rent our equipment to customers, and all of the related aspects.

- reservations  (ability to for instance allow me to set minimum time periods, etc)

- down payment / refundable deposit

- payment up front for the rental period

- damages from the usual things that can happen in rental situations.

Perhaps there are some work arounds.

Some of our equipment is fairly expensive, so it might be a $10K deposit.

Is this really  all that different than a monthly subscription payment concept?

Thanks

[Bar2]

You are 100% correct as I am not waiting to get screwed when the card is no good at the end of the night. Yes I own a bar. I am waiting for my free payanywhere 2-1 card reader with chip reader. Square charged me for this. Square has worked fine except for this HUGH deal breaker for all Bar and Restaurants. Can't wait to be able to start a tab for each customer. Payanywhere is a little less on there fee but not a deal breaker. Not being able to check card is. No more fighting and no more posts good luck!  

[ndb_bakery]

🤔

[JBQAV]

It is actually pretty quick.  I just enter a first/last name in the customer area, save that and then “click card on file” within that customer profile. Might be best to enter that as it appears on the card. You don’t have to enter anything else other than those two fields. I run an audio visual rental company and routinely use that feature.

[Sidexsidelvrent]

I have a rental business and hold a deposit until the unit is returned.  Am I being charged for the deposit and then when I release the deposit?

[Joe]

Hi there, @Sidexisdelvrent. Thanks for posing here on the Community! Always happy to see new faces around these parts 😎 And a great question, to boot! 

If you hold a payment for a rental and then subsequently refund that payment, we will send the full amount - including all processing fees - back to your customer. As a reminder, you can refund your customers payment up to one year of the original purchase, with a few minor limitations. 

Hopefully this brings some clarity to your question! Let me know if I missed the mark on my initial interpretation. I will keep an eye out for your response. 

[villalasuvas]

We have rental properties where we require all guests to pay a damage deposit, which gets refunded after they checkout. If I use the invoice method to collect the deposits, can I also refund/send back the deposit through this invoice option? 

Thank you.