Authorization

The real-time check to see if a card transaction should be approved.

Authorization is the digital equivalent of a cashier asking, “You sure you can pay for this?” When you click “buy,” your payment info is sent to your bank, which runs a series of checks: Is the card valid? Is there enough balance or credit? Is this transaction suspicious? If everything looks good, the bank gives a green light and reserves the amount temporarily. Importantly, no money moves yet. Authorization is just the promise that the money can be collected later. It happens in seconds and is one of the most critical moments in the payment flow.