Nagesh Koritala

Learn Anatomy of a Checkout

Lesson 5 of 13

Capture.

Charging when goods ship: split shipments, partial captures, and reauthorization when a hold expires.

By Nagesh Koritala 4 min read Last verified: November 2026

  1. Lesson 1: Improve the checkout
  2. Lesson 2: The checkout flow
  3. Lesson 3: Authorization
  4. Lesson 4: Payment states
  5. Lesson 5: Capture (this lesson)
  6. Lesson 6: Clearing and settlement
  7. Lesson 7: Cash capture
  8. Lesson 8: Returns and refunds
  9. Lesson 9: Disputes
  10. Lesson 10: Tokens and stored credentials
  11. Lesson 11: Transaction types
  12. Lesson 12: Complete reference
  13. Lesson 13: Payments compliance
All 16 pages in this guide
  1. Improve the checkout
  2. The checkout flow
  3. Authorization
  4. Payment states
  5. Capture
  6. Clearing and settlement
  7. Cash capture
  8. Returns and refunds
  9. Disputes
  10. Tokens and stored credentials
  11. Transaction types
  12. Complete reference
  13. Payments compliance
  14. Follow one order
  15. Where it breaks
  16. Payments dictionary

For physical goods sold online, card network rules generally say you may not submit the charge until the merchandise has shipped. Custom or made-to-order goods are a common exception, as are deposits and other advance payments, when the customer has agreed to the billing terms at checkout. That is why the order management system, not the checkout page, usually triggers capture.

This creates the most interesting timing problem in checkout. Orders ship in pieces. Items back-order. The hold has an expiry date. Try it below: a two-item order, $480 in total, with the authorization taken on day 0.

Split shipment simulatorExample order · $300 chair + $180 lamp

Three tools handle split shipments. Multiple partial captures collect against one authorization, if your processor and the card brand support it. Reauthorization asks for a fresh approval when the original has expired; it is sent as a merchant-initiated transaction that points back to the original purchase. As an industry-practice MIT it needs no separate consent to store the card, but you must keep the token and the original transaction ID, and it can decline. A partial reversal releases any held amount you will never collect, so the customer gets their available funds back quickly.

Sources for this guide

Card network rules change. Time limits, fees, and authorization windows here reflect published rules and provider documentation as of late 2026; confirm details with your processor before you build against them.

Sources

Your progress stays on this device.

Next: Lesson 6

Clearing and settlement.

When money actually moves between banks, and the layers of fees inside every card sale.

Start lesson 6All lessons

Questions about payments? Email me. I read every note.

Clearing and settlement: money moves from the customer’s bank to the merchant’s bank, and fees come out on the way. Their bankYour bank fees