Partial capture
DEFINITION
Partial capture is settling less than the full amount of a card authorization, charging only the true amount owed and releasing the rest of the hold. Recurly does not support partial capture; a capture must match the full authorized amount.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RELATED TERMS
Partial capture is settling less than the full amount of a card authorization. When a payment is authorized, the card is held for a stated amount, and a partial capture charges only part of that amount while releasing the rest of the hold. It relies on the two-step model of card payments, where authorization and capture are separate actions.
Card payments usually happen in two steps: an authorization confirms the funds are available and places a hold, and a capture actually moves the money. Most of the time the captured amount equals the authorized amount, but they do not have to match. When the final amount owed is lower than what was authorized, a partial capture charges the true amount and lets the remaining hold fall away. This is common when an order changes between checkout and fulfillment, such as an out-of-stock item or a corrected total. Card networks limit this pattern to specific categories, such as travel, fuel, and car rental. Recurly does not support partial capture: a capture must match the full authorized amount, and none of the subscription use cases Recurly supports fall into the categories where partial capture applies anyway.
Why partial capture matters for subscription businesses
Partial capture keeps what a customer is charged aligned with what they actually owe, even when the amount is not final at authorization. Charging the correct lower amount rather than the full hold avoids overcharging, reduces disputes, and frees the customer's remaining held funds sooner, which all protect the relationship.
It matters for a few reasons:
It charges the accurate amount when the final total is lower than authorized, so customers are not billed for what they did not receive.
It reduces disputes and refunds, since capturing the right amount avoids charging and then refunding the difference.
It releases held funds sooner, because the unused portion of the authorization does not stay tied up on the customer's card.
How to use partial capture
Use partial capture whenever the amount authorized may exceed the final amount owed, and settle the capture once the true total is known. Because authorizations expire, capture within the window the card networks allow, and understand that the released portion of a hold may take time to clear back to the customer depending on their bank.
Points to get right:
Authorize for the expected maximum, then capture the actual amount once it is confirmed.
Capture before the authorization expires, since an expired hold has to be re-authorized. Hold windows are typically 7 to 10 days, though the exact length varies by card brand and gateway.
Communicate clearly to the customer when the captured amount differs from the amount they saw at checkout.
Track partial captures so reconciliation matches settled amounts, not authorized ones.
Benefits and examples
Partial capture gives a business a clean way to handle the gap between an estimate and a final charge. Rather than capturing too much and refunding the difference, which costs fees and invites disputes, it settles the exact amount once. The customer sees a single correct charge, and the funds they never owed are released rather than held.
Illustrative example (hypothetical figures):
Amount authorized at checkout: $100
Final amount owed after an item is out of stock: $80
The business authorized $100 to cover the full order, but one item could not be fulfilled, lowering the true total to $80. In a system that supports partial capture, the business would capture $80 and let the remaining $20 hold release, so the customer is charged $80 once with no refund to reconcile. Recurly does not support this. On Recurly, the business would either capture the full $100 and refund $20 back to the customer, or void the $100 authorization and get a new $80 authorization to capture instead.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between partial capture and a refund? A partial capture settles less than the authorized amount before any money moves for the unused portion, so the customer is only ever charged the correct amount. A refund happens after a full charge has been captured and returns money already taken. Partial capture avoids the round trip a refund requires.
Can you capture more than the authorized amount? Generally no. A capture cannot exceed its authorization by more than a small tolerance the card networks may allow, so if the final amount is higher, a new authorization is usually needed. Partial capture specifically handles the case where the final amount is lower. Recurly allows no tolerance at all: a capture can never exceed the authorized amount, full stop, and a higher final amount always requires a new authorization.
Does the released portion of the hold return to the customer immediately? Not always. The capture settles quickly, but the released part of the authorization can take time to drop off the customer's available balance, depending on their issuing bank rather than the merchant.
When would a business use partial capture? Any time the final amount may be lower than what was authorized, such as an out-of-stock item, a corrected order total, or a partially fulfilled shipment. It lets the business charge the true amount without capturing too much first.
