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!

[drjay]

The No-Show protector would be great if it held the amount on the patient's card. I work in a busy mental health practice. Patients are required to put card on file to hold appointment. However, if they don't show up and I click No-Show and charge, the card is often declined.

This failure to put a hold on the appropriate funds causes endless problems. Patients will put a debit card with no money to hold an appointment, apparently the card is valid so it is allowed, then they don't show up and when I charge for No-Show it just gets declined and removed.

I currently use Square for appointments and payroll, but this massive oversight has forced me to look into alternatives, such as Schedulicity, which does put a hold on the card so that you know you're getting paid for appointments. 

When are you implementing a hold on funds rather than just saving cards (which does not protect us in any way whatsoever)?

[JustinC]

@drjay - Thanks for posting.

I see your point and totally understand how this limitation creates a loop hole for clients to evade paying cancellation fees.

Right now, I don't have a timeline to report on when holding funds will be available but the Product Team is aware and are continuously tracking the need for this. 

However, this thread I moved you to has a workaround worth mentioning. I hope this helps! 

[TremontCoffee]

We're also looking for a work around this non option with square.  Are there any 3rd part apps that offer this while still using the square register?

[Varner]

Seriously, why is this not a thing yet? Is it not "heavily" enough requested? 

[drjay]

Hello, I'm glad your product team is tracking it, but there is an immediate need to code that in. No-Show Protection is not actually any sort of protection, so your intended functionality is not working. 

The thread you are speaking of just suggests charging in full up front. That's simply not done and would result in endless chargebacks due to on-time cancellations. This would be true in any industry. 

I really like the convenience of Square, Square appointments, and Square payroll bundled, but I'm going to be forced to move away from the platform if this isn't fixed. I'm certain a majority of your users agree. I was worried when I saw how long it took to come out with an Android App (took about 3 years of people asking), when Android is by far the most popular OS for phones worldwide. 

Anyone finding this should consider Schedulicity - they work with Square- and you end up paying about $25 bucks a month to get that functionality after a massive amount of configuration. Alternatively, it looks like Schedulicity has their own payment acceptance, but then you'd have to deal with payroll through other means.

[CoyoteStation]

Apparently this is a popular request and was requested back in 2016.  It is now 2020....when will this feature be added to allow putting a hold on a credit card for lodging venues?  I will be searching elsewhere if not added. 

[charliewood2006]

Apparently Square doesn't care and thats why I'm looking for another system to use. I own a bed and Breakfast and just got bit with a $300. room for valentines weekend and not way I can fill it. Thanks Square.

[thdpr]

I just want to add my voice here that i would like to have a way to store card information that I can run at the end of the night. We currently hold credit cards but would prefer to swipe to hold the tab and then run the card without stashing them in our little card file. 

Thanks
Talia

[JBQAV]

I run an audio/visual rental business called JBQAV. I always just create a new customer, dip or swipe their card info to save in that customer profile and charge a balance when the equipment comes back. I believe you can create an invoice within Square and charge on a “saved card” if it’s connected to a customer profile. You can even save a picture of an ID card within the new customer profile so if you can’t remember who the customer is, their picture pops up.

[thdpr]

Thanks @JBQAV but the process to save their card is time consuming and at a bar (we run a small cider company) with 40 people waiting to order or check out, we don't have time to create a new customer, enter their card, create their ticket, pour their drink. 

Many restaurants can swipe to hold the ticket, that is what I am looking for. We made real progress with the "save tickets" --> next we need save card for tab.