💳 Master Credit Card Holds for Secure Rentals!

Running a rental business? Credit card holds are your secret weapon for managing security deposits without tying up funds. With Fleetwire’s Stripe integration, you can authorize holds, capture payments, or release funds in a snap — all from your dashboard. Let’s dive into how to use holds to keep your rentals smooth and secure!

🎯 Why Use Credit Card Holds?

Credit card holds temporarily reserve funds on a customer’s card without charging them, making them perfect for security deposits. Here’s why they rock:

Protect Your Business: Ensure funds are available for incidentals without upfront charges.
Flexible Payments: Charge only the rental amount if the vehicle is returned in good shape.
Customer-Friendly: Holds don’t hit the customer’s wallet until you capture the payment.

Note: Fleetwire uses Stripe for credit card holds. Make sure you’ve connected Stripe in Settings > Payments before starting.

🛠 How Credit Card Holds Work

Imagine a customer rents a car for $200 with a $300 security deposit:

At pickup, you authorize $500 (rental + deposit).
If the car is returned undamaged, you capture only the $200 rental fee.
The $300 hold is released, freeing up the customer’s funds.

Here’s how to manage this process in Fleetwire:

Step 1: Authorize a Credit Card Hold

Secure funds at the start of a rental with an authorization.

In your Fleetwire dashboard, open the order in Orders.
Click Add Payment and select Credit Card as the payment method.
Enter the amount to hold (e.g., rental + deposit) and the customer’s credit card details.
Toggle the switch to Authorize (not Charge).
Click Authorize to reserve the funds.



Pro Tip: Save the customer’s card details in Fleetwire for faster future authorizations!

Warning: Stripe authorizations expire after 7 days. For rentals longer than 7 days, re-authorize the card or capture the full amount early to secure funds for incidentals.

Step 2: Capture an Authorization

When the rental is complete, capture the amount you need to charge.

Open the order and navigate to the Payment section.
Find the authorized hold in the list of past authorizations.
Click the authorization item.
Choose Capture Full to charge the entire amount or enter a partial amount (e.g., just the rental fee).
Click Confirm to process the payment.



Important: You can capture an authorization only once. If you capture less than the full amount, the remaining funds are released and cannot be captured later.

Step 3: Release a Hold

If you don’t need to charge the full amount (e.g., no damages), release the hold to free up the customer’s funds. You have three options:

Wait It Out: Authorizations automatically expire after 7 days, releasing funds.
Release in Fleetwire:

Open the order and find the authorization in the Payment section.

Click the authorization item, select Cancel Authorization, and click Confirm.
Release in Stripe: Log into your Stripe Dashboard and cancel the authorization manually.



Quick Tip: Releasing holds promptly builds customer trust and avoids confusion over pending charges.

🎉 You’re a Credit Card Hold Pro!

With Fleetwire, managing credit card holds is a breeze, keeping your rentals secure and your customers happy. Monitor your holds in the Orders dashboard and watch your business run like a well-oiled machine!

🚀 Next Steps

Keep your payment process smooth with these tips:

Check Stripe Setup: Ensure your Stripe integration is active in Settings > Payments.
Track Payments: Monitor transactions with E-commerce Tracking via Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel.
Learn More: Explore Charging and Refunding Credit Cards for direct charges.
Need Help? Contact us at hi@fleetwire.io or via the in-app chat.

Happy renting! 🌟

Updated on: 14/05/2025