Beating a Dead Horse but it needs to be: Preauthorization

[FarmAndBar]

We need to be able to preauthorize credit cards when running a tab. Period.  We really enjoyed the low buy in and easy menu development and a couple of the other features, but a bar/restaurant needs to be able to run a tab and preauthorize a credit card.  I've gone back and looked at conversations about it and it appears that this has been a CONSTANT request by users that has gone ignored.

I'd like to know why it isn't available.

[#2]

It IS FOR SURE COMING!! 🙂 they’re running beta testing on it now, so hang in there, I almost switched, glad I didn’t because I really do like the company but this definitely has been and issue that’s cost me hundreds of $$. Hopefully testing goes well and it rolls out soon 🙂

[DeepBrewingCo]

While we've had some customer adoption of the QR code self serve ordering platform, customers having to checkout every round has been the largest barrier to widespread adoption and precipitously continuing our need for increased labor while continuing table service during COVID for our bar and patio. "Can we open a tab or do we have to have a server for that?" is the single question our host(ess) gets after explaining the option after seating the party.

We've started to see other solutions coming online with the ability to allow pre-authorizations for open tabs via mobile checkout platforms, and those tabs being automatically processed if the tab is not closed by close of business...

APPs currently offering the ability to keep tabs open...

https://www.tabbedout.com/

https://rooam.co/app/

https://mobi2go.com/

https://gotab.io/

I haven't seen any integrations available with Square from any of these either. Is there a plan to add this functionality or integrate with any of these platforms?

[Ashtrailgal]

New to SfR too.. going live in three weeks. Why isn’t Square letting us know answer to this feature request.. also.. setting up bar drinks and wine and wonder if anyone here could share how you set up your beers..wines and mixed drinks...

[ashc]

Hi @Ashtrailgal,

We provide updates on feature requests as they roll out.

You can read more on how feature requests work here if you're interested and while this is still a feature request- I'd recommend checking out our Beta Community where you can join to potentially test out new features first when they're rolled out!

[EMParlour]

We are new to the square for Restaurant community and under New Check, custom check ,when we put the customers card in the chip reader it saves the customers name but not the actual saved credit card on file for their tab. Is there a way to save the customers card on file to hold their tab?

TIA 

[AshleyK]

Hi @EMParlour! Thanks for reaching out. This is currently a feature request, but I've merged your post to an existing thread so we can keep all the feedback in one place. 

[Artistsinc]

We run an art gallery. We often send paintings home with customers to try in their homes. We need a way to charge the card, but not process the payment until they decide if they will keep the painting or not. If they don’t, we could just cancel the transaction. If they keep it, we would go ahead and charge the card. 

[JustinC]

@Artistsinc holding an amount on a customer's card isn't doable with Square at this time. 

You'll need to process the payment, then refund it if they don't want to keep the painting. 

[scooterjoes]

Square does not support this in their apps, and it’s been years since it was requested. They don’t even have the decency to say we are not doing it or we are doing it, and this is when it will be available. Astonishingly, this is available via other methods using Square as the payment provider. For example, you can build a Jotform, integrate your Square account and preauthorize.  Here ...

https://www.jotform.com/help/292-how-to-enable-payment-authorization

[Amanda_Bierock]

While Jotform, which was mentioned in this thread by a couple other folks, looks interesting, and seems like it would definitely be a feasible work around for some folks in certain situations, it won't work for a bar/restaurant, which is what I own. The fact that a 3rd party can integrate with Square and offer this feature but yet Square can't/won't is super frustrating. We NEED to be able to start a tab (Open Ticket), swipe/dip a card when the tab is started and have that card info stored (at a minimum, pre-authorized ideally) so we can return the card to the customer without fear of them walking off without paying and/or without the hassle of keeping a stack of credit cards behind the bar. I would threaten, again, to leave Square if this feature isn't added soon, but honestly, with the pandemic, I am unfortunately in no place to lay out a bunch of money to move to a whole new POS. Ugh, this is so frustrating!

[jtcoon]

We start taking pre-orders for seasonal fruit that we grow about a month before shipping to customers. Is there a way in Square to take customer's credit card information at the time they place an order online but delay charging it until the product is shipped?