Authorization and capture

An overview of Recurly's Authorization and Capture feature, including how to authorize, capture, and cancel transactions via the API for greater payment flexibility.

Authorization and Capture lets you separate the moment you verify a subscriber's payment method from the moment you actually collect funds — giving you a window to confirm inventory, run fraud checks, or time a charge to coincide with a trial's end. This page explains how the flow works and how to implement it using Recurly's API.

Available on all Recurly plans

1Definition 2Key benefits 3Key details

Prerequisites

Integration with Recurly's API or a supported client library
A compatible credit card gateway — Authorization and Capture is supported on Braintree, Stripe, Adyen, PayPal Complete, Cybersource, Authorize.net, and CardConnect. Additional gateways will be added based on merchant demand

Limitations

Partial captures and multiple captures are not supported
You cannot capture more than the originally authorized amount
Recurly does not automatically authorize cards before recurring subscription renewals
Delayed capture timing is not customizable
Authorization and Capture is not fully supported with third-party integrations such as Xero or QuickBooks Online

Definition

Authorization and Capture is a two-step payment flow that lets you first verify a subscriber's credit card for validity and fund availability, then collect the funds at a time that suits your business. The authorization places a hold on the funds without transferring them — the capture completes the transaction later.

Key benefits

Stronger payment security Authorize cards upfront to confirm legitimacy and fund availability before any money moves — giving you a chance to review before committing.

Flexible capture timing Capture funds when it makes sense for your business — after confirming stock for physical goods, completing a fraud review, or at the end of a paid trial period.

Fewer transaction failures Catch and resolve payment issues at authorization — before fulfillment or fund movement — so you reduce failed captures and the friction that comes with them.

Key details

How authorization and capture works

Authorization and Capture separates payment authorization from settlement confirmation into a two-step flow. An authorization confirms the card is valid and the funds are available, placing a hold on the subscriber's card account without initiating end of day settlement on your end. Once you're ready, a capture completes the transaction and marks the transactio for settlement with your gateway, where funding will follow per your specific setup.

If you decide not to proceed with the transaction, a cancel (voiding) releases the hold.

Action	What it does
Authorize	Sends a preliminary authorization request to the subscriber's bank to confirm the card is valid and sufficient funds are available. Places a hold on the funds without transferring them to a merchant.
Capture	Finalizes the transaction and marks the amount for settlement at the gateway, completing the transaction. This will remove the pending transaction on a consumer's bank account into finalized transactions. Please note -- capturing has a time limit dependent on network and your setup with the gateway, among other restrictions. Authorizations typically carry a 7-30 day window before capturing becomes impossible. Speak to your gateway for specifics.
Cancel (Void)	Releases the hold on the subscriber's account without collecting any funds. Use this when you decide not to proceed with a capture.

Auth and Capture flow

Part 1: Initiate an authorization

Access the API or a client library

Connect to Recurly's API or your preferred supported client library.

Submit an authorize request

Send a POST request to the authorize endpoint for your API version: v3/purchases/authorize or v2/purchases/authorize.

Confirm transaction details

Verify that all transaction details are correctly entered before submitting.

API referenceSee the V3 Authorize or V2 Authorize documentation for full endpoint details.

Part 2: Capture the authorized amount

Call the capture endpoint

To collect an authorized transaction's funds, send a request to the capture endpoint: v3/purchase/{transaction_id}/capture or v2/purchases/transaction-uuid-{AUTHORIZED-TXN-UUID}/capture.

Include the transaction UUID

Pass the transaction UUID from the original authorization in the request.

API referenceSee the V3 Capture or V2 Capture documentation for full endpoint details.

Part 3: Cancel an authorization

Call the cancel endpoint

If you decide not to capture the funds, send a request to the cancel endpoint: v3/purchase/{transaction_id}/cancel or v2/purchases/transaction-uuid-{AUTHORIZED-TXN-UUID}/cancel.

Include the transaction UUID

Pass the transaction UUID from the original authorization to release the hold on the subscriber's account.

API referenceSee the V3 Cancel or V2 Cancel documentation for full endpoint details.

Special Uses

If you want to use Authorize and Capture for paid trials, you will not set up your plans using the "Trial" functionality. Trials in Recurly use a zero dollar authorization, or verification, which only validates the card itself, and does not earmark or verify funds availability.

To use Auth and Capture for subscription signups, for paid trials (paid because an authorization does hold funds from a customer's bank balance), you'll want to be transparent in your offer to ensure customers are aware that funds will be held, but returned if they decide to cancel their paid trial.

Using a standard plan, simply use Recurly's API to send an Authorization request, and the end of the paid trial should have one of two outcomes:

The customer decides to keep their subscription → Capture (you must capture for the full amount)
The customer decides to cancel their subscription → Void/Cancel

Cancel the subscription itself as well if they end up cancelling their paid trial to avoid future renewals from occurring automatically.

Updated 2 days ago

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