Payment authorisation and payment capture are separate stages in some payment flows. Stripe documents a process in which an eligible payment method reserves an amount before it is captured. The authorisation expires if it is not used within the applicable period. The period depends on the payment method and circumstances. Source: Stripe: separate authorisation and capture

A travel booking example

Imagine that an agency receives an authorised payment while a room request is still awaiting a supplier response. Keep the two statuses separate: the payment record describes the money and the supplier record describes the accommodation.

Do not send a booking confirmation simply because a payment hold exists. Check the supplier outcome first so the customer receives an accurate description of their arrangements.

What to record

Record the payment reference, authorised amount, currency and capture deadline supplied by the provider. Assign an owner to unresolved bookings so a hold does not expire while everyone assumes someone else is checking it.

Check whether your provider and chosen payment method support this flow before designing a process around it. A feature documented by one provider is not evidence that every integration offers it.

Written and updated by Travelgenix. Sources checked on 16 October 2026. Worked examples and checklists are editorial illustrations and recommendations, not customer results.