Payments and confirmation

A held trip becomes a booking the company is committed to only when payment is real. Payment events arrive from your card or payment provider with the provider’s event identifier, the type, the amount in US dollars, the date and the provider’s reference. The type is Authorization, Capture, Refund or Void. Each event identifier is recorded once, so a repeated message from the provider does not add a second payment.

The coordinator confirms the booking only when verified payment evidence exists. The supplier’s confirmation date is then recorded on the reserved lines. Refunds and voids are recorded against the same booking, so the payment history explains what was finally spent.

• Events by provider identifier. Each payment event carries the provider’s identifier and reference, and is never entered twice.
• Confirm on verified payment. A held trip is confirmed only with verified authorization or capture evidence.
• Refunds stay with the trip. Refunds and voids are recorded on the booking they reverse.

Agree which payment events count as verified for confirmation: an authorization, a capture or both. Agree how provider references are recorded so finance can trace each payment. Agree who records payment events and who investigates a payment that does not match the quoted amount. Agree how quickly a capture must follow a hold before the hold expires.

The Chicago trip is held at 10:00 for 1,450 USD. At 10:20 the card provider sends an authorization for 1,450 USD with event identifier PX-55102, and at 16:00 a capture with event PX-55871. The Payments Analyst records both. The coordinator confirms the booking on the verified capture.

Two days later the provider sends the capture message again. Its identifier is already recorded, so nothing is added. When the traveler later shortens the stay by a night, the hotel refunds 189 USD; the refund is recorded against the same booking, and the payment history shows 1,261 USD spent.

• Payment Events — Authorizations, captures, refunds and voids by booking, with provider identifier and reference.
• Captured Payments — Captured amounts by booking and date.

• Hold to confirmed booking: Hold the trip, verify payment and confirm.

Connect your payment provider before the pilot.