AirPay: Authorise Before Dispatch Explained

Streamlining Taxi Bookings with AirPay's Authorise Before Dispatch

In the fast-paced world of taxi services, efficient payment processing is paramount. AirPay's innovative 'Authorise Before Dispatch' feature is designed to significantly enhance this process, offering a more secure and organised approach to managing customer payments. This article delves into the intricacies of this new functionality, explaining how it works, its benefits, and how to seamlessly integrate it into your iCabbi booking system.

Understanding the AirPay Payment Process: Authorisation vs. Capture

Before we explore the 'Authorise Before Dispatch' feature, it's crucial to grasp the two fundamental steps involved in processing a card payment through AirPay: authorisation and capture.

Authorisation: Reserving Funds

Authorisation is the initial step where AirPay verifies that the customer's card has sufficient funds for the booking and reserves that amount. This ensures that the money is available when the service is completed. Importantly, an authorisation is typically valid for a limited period, usually five days. If the funds are not captured within this timeframe, the authorisation is cancelled, and the reserved funds are released back to the customer's account.

Capture: Collecting the Payment

Capture is the subsequent step where the authorised funds are actually collected from the customer's card. This is the point at which the money is transferred. AirPay's advanced system, often referred to as 'AirPay Smart Auth,' even allows for the capture of amounts that may differ from the initially authorised sum, offering flexibility for variable pricing.

When AirPay Authorises and Captures, and When it Only Authorises

The behaviour of AirPay in terms of authorising and capturing payments depends on the pricing structure of the taxi booking:

Fixed Price Bookings

For bookings with a fixed price, AirPay will perform both authorisation and capture at the time of the pre-dispatch process. This includes the total booking fare plus the applicable AirPay fee. Once this is done, the price is set, and the customer has effectively paid in full before the journey even begins. This provides a high degree of certainty for the service provider.

Estimated Price Bookings

When a booking has an estimated price, AirPay will only authorise the customer's card for the estimated amount. This authorisation will also include a pre-defined percentage uplift (to account for potential variations) and the AirPay fee. The actual, final price of the booking will be captured once the journey is completed and the final fare is determined. This offers a good balance of ensuring the customer can pay without locking in a potentially inaccurate final amount.

Bookings with No Destination

In scenarios where a booking is made without a specified destination, AirPay will authorise the customer's card for a default amount. This default amount, along with any percentage uplift and the AirPay fee, will be reserved. Similar to estimated price bookings, the actual payment will be captured upon the completion of the service, once the destination and final fare are established.

Implementing 'Authorise Before Dispatch' in iCabbi

Integrating this powerful feature into your iCabbi system is straightforward. To initiate the 'Authorise Before Dispatch' process, you need to enter the letter 'A' into the 'Extra' field of your booking within iCabbi. This can be done for bookings scheduled for the future or for immediate ('NOW') services.

The Workflow

1. Enter 'A': When creating or amending a booking in iCabbi, simply place 'A' in the 'Extra' field.
2. AirPay Processing: The booking is then sent to AirPay. If it's a fixed-price booking, AirPay will attempt to both authorise and capture the full amount. For estimated or destination-less bookings, AirPay will only attempt authorisation.
3. Successful Authorisation: If the authorisation is successful (and capture for fixed prices), the 'A' will automatically be removed from the 'Extra' field in iCabbi. Your booking is now ready to dispatch as per your usual procedures.
4. Driver Device Notification: On the driver's device, the booking will be clearly marked as 'authorised via AirPay' upon acceptance. Once the job is completed, it will update to 'paid via AirPay'.

Limitations and Important Considerations

While the 'Authorise Before Dispatch' feature offers significant advantages, there are crucial limitations to be aware of to ensure smooth operation:

The Five-Day Authorisation Window

As mentioned, card authorisations are generally valid for only five days. This means that the funds must be captured before this period expires. Failure to do so will result in the authorisation being cancelled, and the funds becoming available again on the customer's card.

Future Bookings and Authorisation Validity

Crucially, you cannot use the 'Authorise Before Dispatch' feature for bookings with an estimated price or no destination if they are scheduled more than five days in the future. If you attempt to do so, AirPay will not process the booking, and it will not dispatch. This is because the card authorisation is likely to expire before the actual payment can be captured.

Fixed Price Bookings and Future Dates

For fixed-price bookings, you *can* send them to AirPay for authorisation before dispatch, even if they are more than five days in the future. This is permissible because AirPay will both authorise and capture the payment immediately, effectively securing the funds for the entire duration.

Troubleshooting Payment Issues

If AirPay is unable to authorise a customer's card – perhaps due to the card being blocked, expired, or having insufficient funds – the 'A' will remain in the 'Extra' field in iCabbi. Consequently, the booking will not be dispatched. This serves as a clear indicator that a payment issue needs to be resolved before the service can proceed.

Enabling the 'Authorise Before Dispatch' Feature

To unlock the full potential of this feature, a specific configuration is required within your iCabbi and AirPay systems. This involves setting up an additional webhook to ensure bookings are sent to AirPay upon creation.

Step 1: Configure the 'Booking Created' Webhook

Your first step is to add a webhook in AirPay that triggers when a booking is created.

• Navigate to your fleet settings within AirPay.
• Select the 'Webhooks' option.
• From the dropdown list, choose the 'Booking Created' webhook.
• Click the 'Create Hook' button.

This action will establish a new webhook in iCabbi, enabling the transmission of your bookings to AirPay before they are dispatched. Please note that webhooks created via API might require further configuration to function optimally.

Step 2: Set Up an SMS Template for Prepay Bookings

Within your fleet settings in AirPay, you will need to create an SMS template specifically for prepay bookings. This is essential for customer communication regarding payment status.

Step 3: Configure a Short Attribute in iCabbi

Next, you need to add a short attribute in iCabbi, associated with your chosen short code. Configure this attribute so that bookings containing it will be prevented from dispatching until payment is confirmed. This acts as a safeguard.

Step 4: Link the Short Code Key

Finally, under the 'Payment Required Attribute Short-Key' section in your AirPay fleet settings, enter the short code key you wish to associate with prepay bookings. Typically, this is set to 'A', aligning with the entry in the 'Extra' field.

Benefits at a Glance

The 'Authorise Before Dispatch' feature offers several compelling benefits:

• Reduced No-Shows: By confirming payment availability upfront, you significantly reduce the risk of customers not paying upon completion.
• Improved Cash Flow: Fixed-price bookings are paid in full before dispatch, leading to more predictable and immediate cash flow.
• Enhanced Customer Experience: For customers, it can offer peace of mind knowing their fare is secured, especially for longer or pre-booked journeys.
• Operational Efficiency: Automating the payment authorisation process before dispatch streamlines operations and reduces manual intervention.
• Flexibility for Varied Pricing: The system intelligently handles both fixed and estimated pricing, providing adaptability.

Comparison Table: Authorise vs. Authorise & Capture

Here's a quick comparison to highlight the differences:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: What happens if a customer's card is declined during the 'Authorise Before Dispatch' process?

A1: If the card cannot be authorised, the 'A' will remain in the 'Extra' field in iCabbi, and the booking will not dispatch. You will need to contact the customer to arrange for a valid payment method.

Q2: Can I use this feature for bookings made over the phone?

A2: Yes, as long as you manually enter 'A' into the 'Extra' field in iCabbi when processing the booking.

Q3: How long is the authorisation valid for estimated bookings?

A3: The authorisation is valid for five days. If the booking completion extends beyond this, you may need to re-authorise or ensure the capture occurs within the five-day window.

Q4: Does 'Authorise Before Dispatch' apply to all payment methods?

A4: This feature is specifically designed for card payments processed through AirPay.

Q5: What is the 'percentage uplift'?

A5: The 'percentage uplift' is a buffer added to estimated fares to account for potential increases in the final cost, such as longer routes or waiting times.

By embracing AirPay's 'Authorise Before Dispatch' feature, taxi companies can significantly enhance their payment security, improve operational efficiency, and provide a more reliable service to their customers. Understanding the nuances of authorisation and capture, and correctly configuring the system, are key to unlocking these benefits.

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