A partial authorization is supported for a credit or PIN debit authorization request. The merchant must submit a CreditAuth, CreditSale, DebitSale, EBTFSPurchase, EBTCashBenefitWithdrawal, or EBTCashBackPurchase transaction that includes the AllowPartialAuth value set to "Y".

If approved, the merchant receives a "10" response code indicating the merchant must collect other funds to complete the sale. The Issuer also responds with the amount that is authorized.

For example, if an authorization request of $12.00 is sent along with the AllowPartialAuth value set to "Y" and the Issuer approves $7.00, the response is returned with an approval for $7.00. The merchant’s software applies the approved $7.00 to the sale and the cardholder pays the remaining $5.00 using another form of payment (different credit card, check, cash, etc.).

Partial authorization can be used in any industry, provided the POS system has the ability to partially authorize a sale. It is recommended that the merchant be presented with a prompt to Void or Accept the transaction if a partial authorization is received. The following Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) must support partial authorization for American Express, Mastercard, Visa, and Discover:

MCC	Description
4812	Telecommunication Equipment including Telephone Sales
4814	Telecommunication Services
5111	Stationery, Office Supplies
5200	Home Supply Warehouse Stores
5300	Wholesale Clubs
5310	Discount Stores
5311	Department Stores
5331	Variety Stores
5399	Miscellaneous General Merchandise Stores
5411	Grocery Stores, Supermarkets
5499	Miscellaneous Food Stores—Convenience Stores, Markets, Specialty Stores and Vending Machines
5541	Stations (with or without Ancillary Services) Services
5542	Fuel Dispenser, Automated
5732	Electronic Sales
5734	Computer Software Stores
5735	Record Shops
5812	Eating Places, Restaurants
5814	Fast Food Restaurants
5912	Drug Stores, Pharmacies
5921	Package Stores, Beer, Wine, and Liquor
5941	Sporting Goods Stores
5942	Book Stores
5943	Office, School Supply and Stationery Stores
5999	Miscellaneous and Specialty Retail Stores
7829	Motion Picture—Video Tape Production–Distribution
7832	Motion Picture Theaters
7841	Video Entertainment Rental Stores
8011	Doctors—not elsewhere classified
8021	Dentists, Orthodontists
8041	Chiropractors
8042	Optometrists, Ophthalmologists
8043	Opticians, Optical Goods, and Eyeglasses
8062	Hospitals
8099	Health Practitioners, Medical Services—not elsewhere classified
8999	Professional Services—not elsewhere classified
4111	Transportation—Suburban and Local Commuter Passenger, including Ferries
4816	Computer Network/Information Services
4899	Cable, Satellite, and Other Pay Television and Radio Services
7996	Amusement Parks, Carnivals, Circuses, Fortune Tellers
7997	Clubs—Country Membership
7999	Recreation Services—not elsewhere classified
9399	Government Services—not elsewhere classified

 

Partial authorization support is required by the card brands for many face-to-face industries in order to maximize support for debit and prepaid open-loop gift cards (those branded by one of the major card brands).

For Gift Card transactions, partial approvals are supported by default. If the Gift Card account balance is non-zero, but insufficient to cover the full redemption amount, the remaining balance is drained and the amount still owed is returned in the response for additional payment. 

If approved, the merchant receives a "13" response code with a message stating that partial approval has been given. The merchant may accept any additional tender to cover the amount still owed.

If the account holder is unable to provide additional payment and the purchase is cancelled, this transaction should be voided to return the balance back to the account. See the "split tender card amount" and "split tender balance due amount" fields in the response.