Common Reasons Why a Pre-Authorised Payment May Fail
Last updated Mar 31, 2026
Overview
Pre-authorised payments allow businesses to reserve an amount on a customer’s card and capture the payment later. However, there are certain scenarios where the capture or completion of the payment may fail.
Below are the most common reasons for pre-authorisation payment failures.
1. Capture Amount Exceeds the Authorised Amount
A payment capture will fail if the capture amount entered is greater than the amount originally authorised on the customer’s card.
For example:
- Authorised amount: £50
- Capture attempt: £60
Since the capture amount exceeds the authorised amount, the payment will be declined by the payment processor.
Resolution: Ensure that the capture amount is less than or equal to the authorised amount.
2. Cancellation of the Pre-Authorised Payment
If a pre-authorised payment is cancelled by the merchant or user, the authorisation is immediately released.
Once cancelled, the payment cannot be captured later, and the transaction becomes invalid.
Resolution: A new payment or pre-authorisation must be created if the transaction still needs to be processed.
3. Expired Payment Link
When a pre-authorised payment is created using a payment link, the link remains active only for the validity period set during creation.
The customer receives an automatic reminder email 24 hours before the payment link is due to expire, prompting them to complete the payment before the link becomes inactive.
If the customer attempts to open the link after the expiry period, the payment cannot be completed.
Resolution: Create and send a new payment link to the customer.
4. Authorisation Hold Expired (PSP / Stripe Limitation)
Pre-authorised payments are temporary holds placed on a customer’s card by the payment processor (such as Stripe or the PSP).
These authorisation holds are only valid for a limited time period, which is defined by the card network and payment processor.
If the merchant attempts to capture the payment after the authorisation window has expired, the capture will fail because the funds are no longer reserved on the card.
Resolution: If the authorisation has expired, a new payment or pre-authorisation must be created to complete the transaction.
Next steps:
Follow our guide on how to create a pre authorised payment link from the Partners Admin.