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You can easily preauthorize additional funds. One function of the night auditor is to print the Guest Trial Balance and look at the CREDIT LIMIT column. The auditor should also look at the GUEST BALANCE column as well as the DEPART DATE column to determine if additional funds should be authorized, so that sufficient authorization exists to process payments due at check-out. Bring up the folio and click "authorize card". A popup will ask for ADDITIONAL amount to authorize. For example, if $300 had been authorized at check-in and $500 is needed, then the additional amount would be $200, as shown below. Note the new credit limit. DO NOT change the credit limit for credit card guests. This field will update automatically each time funds are authorized. Preauthorize at check-in Post payment ("sale" transaction) at check-in Additional authorization Check-out preauthorized card Guests already checked out today Guests checked out prior day (guest history) Back to top
Do not post a payment before check-out. If a credit card was preauthorized, you MUST process the payment through the check-out process. Otherwise, the cardholder will see a sale of the amount posted as the payment yet the preauthorization will remain, not allowing the guest to the funds. When the transaction is processed properly, the payment will post against the preauthorization and excess funds will be released (per the bank or merchant processor's policy). Select Check out. Enter the room or select by guest name. If the folio does not have a zero balance, the Post Charges/Payments screen will open automatically. If there is an authorization, you will see an approval code and a sequence number. The payment type will be the code for the credit card authorized. Simply press Enter through the fields. If insufficient funds were authorized, a popup will notify you and ask if you wish to authorize additional funds. If the guest wishes to use a different credit card, you need to void the preauthorization on the existing card. You can do this in the folio's guest information screen or on the Post Charges/Payments screen. Click "Void pre-auth" or "Void preauth". You may then use a different credit card. To do so, type / in the payment code field, press Enter, and follow the prompts. Preauthorize at check-in Post payment ("sale" transaction) at check-in Additional authorization Check-out preauthorized card Guests already checked out today Guests checked out prior day (guest history) Back to top
There are times when you need to post something to a guest already checked out. You should do this carefully and judiciously. Go to Display Folio and click Find. Select the guest. Find the line with the previous transaction with the credit card you wish to use. Make a note of the sequence number. You will find it in the REF column as shown below. Make sure to record the number accurately; otherwise you post to a different guest's credit card. You also can find the sequence number on the payment journal in the REFERENCE column. The reference number is before the "-". In the example below the reference number is 140. You do not need the leading zeroes. Note that the approval code was cleared at check-out and not longer displays; nor does the sequence number display. When the gust was checked out the preauthorization was cleared and is no longer available. The next transaction you post will be a "sale". In the "code" field type / or the payment code and press Enter. A prompt will ask, "process credit card?" Answer Yes. When the Shift4 i4Go window or the Element PS window opens, select "Use card from history". At the "Enter sequence number" prompt enter the sequence you wrote down for this guest.
The card on file associated with the sequence number you entered will display. Do not continue if you are not confident that this is the correct card. Enter the amount of the transaction and press Enter. The transaction will process. Note that the guest folio has a balance. A checked-out guest should have a zero balance. You need to post a charge against the payment in order to zero the folio. If the payment was a credit to the guest, then your charge will be a credit as well. When you have entered both transactions the folio should have a zero balance. Below is a Guest Trial Balance showing a checked-out guest who does not have a zero balance. This is something that the night auditor should look for.
Preauthorize at check-in Post payment ("sale" transaction) at check-in Additional authorization Check-out preauthorized card Guests already checked out today Guests checked out prior day (guest history) Back to top
You cannot post to a folio that is in guest history. You need to check in a new guest or master folio. First, get the credit card transaction's sequence from the guest's folio in history. Go to Guest History > Display Folio.
