How to Authorize Card Payments Using the Old Website Builder

This article is specific to Version 1 of the website builder. The vast majority of users are now using Version 2 as all websites created since October of 2021 are using Version 2. If you are using Version 2 of the builder, visit this article, How to Authorize Card Payments in Websites.

Version 1 vs. Version 2 Difference

Related article: What's the difference between Version 1 & Version 2 of the page builders

How Authorization works:

  • This is not turned on by default and will require a couple quick extra steps, covered below
  • The system will remove the monetary value placed in the "authorize amount" from the clients bank account before crediting it back later.
  • If the account does not have the funds during the authorization process, they will not be allowed to continue to the next step.
  • Upon authorization approval the system will credit back the account for the amount used to authorize.
  • If you have any "Trial days" attached to the subscription or payment plan, those will also kick in as soon as the card is authorized.
  • Funds may take up to 5 business days before being return to the clients bank account
  • ONLY works with Subscriptions and Payment plans.

Please Note: If you would like to authorize payment before purchase for all of your subscriptions and payment plans, this process will need to be repeated for each plan attached to the payment form.

Authorization Setup

1. Go to your website and find the page with the order form from the list of thumbnails and click the three dots.


Three dots in old website builder

2. Click on "Products". If you are not seeing any products attached to your page, you will need add them first before continuing. 

Products in the Old Website Builder


  1. Click on the "Edit" icon. This will open the product settings. In this example, there are two plans (monthly $149 & Annual $1490) where "Authorization" will need to be turned on.

First, we will start with plan 1 (monthly $149), then come back and repeat this process for plan 2 (Annual plan $1490).


Edit Product in Old Website Builder



4. Click on Authorize Card


Authorize Card in Old Builder




5. Type the dollar amount you would like to "authorize"

Keep in mind that the amount you place here will be deducted from the clients account. If the funds are unavailable, they will not be able to proceed.


For example, if you enter 1 in the custom authorization box, the system will hold "$1" out of the clients account and then refund the $1 back.


The refund process may take up to 5 business days before returning the amount held.


This ONLY works with recurring products - subscriptions and payment plans.


The authorization amount should be equal to or more than 1, have no more than 2 decimals and should NOT be a negative number.


Authorize Amount


6. Click on "Currency" and Enter the currency you wish to use

Select Currency Dropdown in Old Builder




7. Click on your currency. For this example, we will use USD.


Choose Currency in Old Builder





8. Click on Update