CC Pre-Authorization for bar tabs

[coffee4]

Where is this at in the beta process? Its one of my restaurant's priorities and is frequently brought up by both staff and customers.

[EastEndBar]

Following 

[AndySQ]

Hi @SwanDriveIn that link will take you to the Beta Program for Pre-Authorization on Point of Sale.  It looks like you're primarily using Restaurants, so you'll want to request to join this Beta Program instead - Next Generation Square for Restaurants - this includes Pre-Authorization and several other improvements being tested for the Restaurants Platform.

[AndySQ]

Andy from the Beta Team here!

Currently the only ongoing Beta Test that allows for access to Pre-Authorizations is for Square for Restaurants:

Square for Restaurants Next Generation - An ongoing closed beta for Square for Restaurants that includes Pre-Authorization and several other features.  This will go into Open Beta by the end of April, but if you're interested in using Pre-Authorization with Square for Restaurants, you can request to join here in the Beta Community:
https://www.sellercommunity.com/t5/Next-Generation-Square-for/cmp-p/grouphub%3ABarTabs

Earlier this year, we were also testing Pre-Authorizations on Square Point of Sale, but that Beta and access to the feature have been discontinued at this time.

Updated 7/1/2024 to reflect changes in Beta feature availability.

[sadmonkeytx]

Hi there! This is really exciting to know that Square is working on this feature. We have a bar as one location and a food truck set up as a different location which causes issues when a customer wants to order something from both locations. We have to hold on to their credit card behind the bar if they open a tab - but then give it back so they can go outside and order from the food truck.

Anyway, I have enrolled our business as a Beta Member and was wondering if it is possible to enable the pre-auth feature on a Square Register (via the online dashboard or register screen itself)? Thank you!

[achase43]

When will pre-authorization sync with KDS. It is not useful for us until it does.

[banter_bar]

Hi - whats the the reason that the suits decided pre-auth wasnt worth it on the POS app? Is it to funnel people into paying for restaurants? Seems a little suspect given that soooooooo many people on here want it for the POS app. I know you cant keep everyone happy, but it seems purely like a money grab rather than trying to help your customers get their hands on new things. I get that we are all trying to make money, but not everyone wants to use the restaurant app. 

all that being said, thanks for being the messenger on this, i am not mad at you, just supremely frustrated that we have to hold cards like its the old days. 

[Kistere]

Yep. It's actually embarrassing. Some have asked what kind of POS this is (no pun intended) and I have to sheepishly tell them its SQUARE and relate how they took away the pre-auth function. SQUARE is not doing themselves any favors.

[AndySQ]

@banter_bar I appreciate the understanding - it's not a fun message to have to pass along and I totally get why folks are upset at the change. 

I can't really go into more detail on the reason why this call was made, but we are working on an option that will allow businesses to access Pre-Authorization even outside of Square for Restaurants (we'll be able to share more details when we have a clearer timeline).  This timing is especially tough for owners that prefer Point of Sale and aren't a great fit for Restaurants.  Restaurants is highly customizable and there's a way to get it to function for bars and breweries, but making that change, training staff, etc. is a significant time investment for sure.

@Kistere I definitely hear where you're coming from, especially when at one point this feature was already on the way.  I'll be sharing this feedback with the product team that made this decision, along with all the other valid concerns that business owners have shared in this thread.

Thank you both for speaking your minds here - this kind of input is valuable for the Beta team and helps us make a stronger case for why this pivot could have been handled differently.

Andy
Beta Specialist

[ELees]

What is Square's timeline on rolling the cc-preauthorzation out?  Every software development team I have been involved with ALWAYS had a timeline they are attempting to adhere to.

TIA.

Ed

[AndySQ]

Hi @ELees - good question!

Square for Restaurants offers Pre-Authorization now that the Beta feature has been fully released to US sellers, and you can enable it on your devices from the Square Dashboard under Devices > Service Settings > Bar Tabs Pre-Auth

You'll find more details here on Pre-Auth with Square for Restaurants and the current status of this feature:
https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/8455-enable-and-configure-preauthorization-for-bar-tabs

For timelines, it really depends on the feature and how far into its development we are - we DO have internal timelines and release schedules we work towards, but we don't usually publicly share a release date until we're sure we'll hit it, so that businesses can plan to have access at a particular time.

I hope this info helps!

Andy
Beta Specialist

[ELees]

Thanks for the reply, Andy. 

When I select Pre-authorization in setting it says it has limited features.

The inability to perform Tap-to-pay is a show stopper for us.  

[AndySQ]

Thanks for the quick check, @ELees - The Tap to Pay limitation only refers to accepting NFC payments with an iPhone sans reader.  More details on that feature can be found here - That nomenclature can be a bit confusing.

In your case, since you're using physical readers and Square Register, NFC/Tap payments are supported when using Pre-Authorization on Square for Restaurants, so you should be able to utilize it going forward and take any supported payment type 🙂

Andy
Beta Specialist

[kptrease]

I know this almost a year later, but I would love any info on how we could have Pre-Authorization for bar tab open tickets. I've requested access to the beta but it's invite only and I haven't heard any response.

[AndySQ]

Hi @sadmonkeytx I can see why Pre-Auth would help out a lot in that situation!

Since you're using Square for Restaurants, you'll want to request access to the Square for Restaurants Next Gen Beta Community Group - The Beta folks overseeing that program will review your account and enable in a few batches every week.  That Beta Community is also a great place to share feedback or ask questions with fellow testers!

Pre-Auth with Square for Restaurants is still a closed Beta with a few limitations and requirements to participate, so you won't see the option to enable it until your account has been enrolled.

Once you're enrolled in the Beta test, you'll see the option for Pre-Authorization on the Dashboard under your Service Settings, and can create a new device profile where you'll be able to toggle on Pre-Authorization for that individual device.

Andy
Beta Specialist

[sadmonkeytx]

Hi @AndySQ,

I have requested access to the Beta Group and will keep an eye out for an approval email. Thank you for your response and for the detailed information!

[JW4624]

This has been in Beta for a while now. How much longer before all the bugs are worked out and it's a standard feature? Thanks

[JW4624]

I posted this question over a week ago, is this thread even being moderated anymore? Has Square given up on the Beta testing and decided to scrap this idea? What's the status already?

[insightbrewing]

What is going on with this beta?  I use Square Point Of Sale and submitted a request to join the beta.  I'm waiting to be approved, but I called tech support and they told me the feature is already available on Point Of Sale.  But none of the menu options, settings, etc. that they tell me to look for are showing up on my dashboard or devices.  On the dashboard, I was told to go to Devices > Service Settings and look for something about pre-authorization but that option isn't there.  On the device, they told me to go to Add-Ons, open the settings for the Open Tickets add-on, and look for an option for pre-authorization but that option isn't there - all I have is 'Use Tickets as home screen', 'Use predefined tickets', and 'Use on this device'.  PLEASE HELP!!! I've lost countless hours of my life dealing with this!

[BillysIce]

In the exact same boat here... please assist!

[Kistere]

I was using the pre-auth on point of sale for a few months and it just disappeared. I was on the phone for over an hour and no one could give me an answer. A week later I got an email from SQUARE that they knew it was gone snd were working on it. This was many months ago. Still no contact, still no pre-auth. So disappointing. Customers hate that we have to keep their cards like its 1996. What's the deal, SQUARE??

[AndySQ]

@Kistere @JW4624 DM'ing you with the latest information - thank you for checking in about this.