CapturePayment

CapturePayment, commonly referred to as capture, is a payment processing step in which funds that were previously authorized are actually transferred from the cardholder’s account to the merchant’s account. An authorization reserves the specified amount on the card but does not settle the funds; capture completes the transaction by moving the money.

In a typical flow, a merchant first requests an authorization from the card network or processor, often when an order is placed. The authorization places a hold on the funds up to the authorized amount. The merchant may fulfill the order and then issue a capture for the amount due. The processor then settles the funds with the issuer and deposits them into the merchant account, usually within a separate settlement cycle.

Captures can be full or partial. A full capture uses the total authorized amount, while a partial capture retrieves less than the authorized sum. Some systems support multiple captures against a single authorization, as long as the total does not exceed the original authorization amount. Captures are typically performed before the authorization expires (the validity period varies by card network and issuer).

If a capture is not performed within the allowed window, the authorization may expire and the funds are released back to the cardholder. After a capture, refunds may be issued to reverse all or part of the collected funds. In cases of cancelled orders, merchants may void an authorization before capture to prevent settlement.

In practice, capture timing is coordinated with fulfillment, fraud checks, and business policies, and is a core part of reconciliation in electronic payment workflows.