This manual provides detailed information on how credit card authorizations are processed in IDPMS using the credit card interface with Shift4 and identifies the function of each setting. Prior to setting up a credit card interface, the property needs to complete and process all forms required by their bank and receive approval from the Third Party Vendor(Shift4) that all cards and Merchant ID information have been approved. Shift4 will provide the installer with a configuration sheet once everything has been approved and set up on the Shift4 side.
Shift4 Credit Card Interface Settings in IDPMS
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EFT addit auth percentage – Enter a % here if the property wants to take an additional % of the entire stay when calculating automatic authorizations.
EFT addit auth amount - Enter a flat $ amount here if the property wants to take an additional $ amount of the entire stay when calculating automatic authorizations.
EFT maximum auth nights – Enter the maximum number of nights to authorize at one time.
EFT comm. Timeout – Default is 90 seconds
Authorize during NA- Check this if the system should automatically get additional authorizations at Night audit.
Void on Cancel Posting – Check this if Hotel wants to void the credit card charges when a user voids/cancels the card posting .
Processing Authorizations at Check-In
In the example below Ms. Jane Doe is checking in for 3 nights at a rate of $120 per night.
Guest Total stay including taxes and any extras is $416.16
Checking in the Guest, the amount to authorize defaults to the full stay amount including extras ($416.16) plus a % or flat amount previously set up in the EFT settings. In this example the hotel is requesting an additional $50.00 authorization.
The default amount = $416.16 + $50.00 = $466.16
Approval Code
Credit Card Detail Log in IDPMS
Log shows Transaction as AUTH with Auth Code OK757C for $466.16
Incremental/Additional Authorizations
The above folio has authorization for $466.16. To continue the example, the guest goes to the restaurant and charges $200 to the room. As we only obtained an additional authorization of $50 for incidental charges at check-in, we now need to obtain an additional amount of $150. IDPMS will do this automatically at night audit if the setting for ‘Auth during NA is checked’ or if you do a manual authorization from the folio. (See below)
The system automatically calculates what needs to be sent. It will send a total of $666.16. The user SHOULD NOT manually adjust the amount because it will overwrite the original amount authorized to the new value entered by the user. By sending this automatic amount through, it will update the authorization amount correctly on $$$ on the net.
Both entries will show in the Credit Card Detail Log in IDPMS but the last amount authorized will be the actual amount holding on the guest card. Note: Users may get confused and think that this folio is actually holding $466.16+$666.16 but it is only holding $666.16 (last amount authorized)
Anytime a manual authorization is selected, IDPMS will calculate the last amount authorized and add the new charges from the folio and send that total through to Shift4 $$$ on the net. This is how the interface handles incremental authorizations.
So if the guest charges an additional amount to his room of $75, the total folio balance is now $275, IDPMS will send through $741.16 as the next authorization request.
$666.16 (last amount authorized) + $75 = $741.16
Authorize During Night Audit
If the setting ‘Authorize during NA’ is turned on, IDPMS will automatically get incremental authorizations on folios that require it using the same format as described above for manual authorizations.
Same Authorization Code
Credit Card Log
If the previous authorization amount and the newly requested amount have a difference of less than 10%-15% (depending on the bank), the bank will often return the same authorization code. In the example about the difference is $75 and the result yielded the same auth code of OK200C.