Pre-authorization checkout
Stores needed to hold a payment and charge it later, including for workshops.
- Client
- Israeli WooCommerce stores
- Market
- Israel
- Service
- Web development
- Status
- Building
01 / Build
What I built
Hold-then-charge payment flow integrated into checkout and order handling.
- WooCommerce
- PHP
02 / Decisions
Key decisions
- Authorize at checkout and capture later, so the store can confirm stock or a workshop seat before any money moves.
- Build on WooCommerce's own order statuses, so staff capture or release a hold from the order screen they already use.
03 / Notes
Architecture and hindsight
Architecture
At checkout the gateway authorizes the amount and the order moves to an "authorized" status instead of "processing". Staff confirm the order or the workshop booking, and the capture runs from the order screen; a cancellation releases the hold instead of issuing a refund.
What I'd do differently
Map each payment gateway's authorization window before designing the statuses. The window decides how long a workshop booking can wait before it has to be charged, and it differs between gateways and card types.
04 / Outcome
Outcome
In build; orders and workshop bookings are authorized at checkout and charged once confirmed.
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