What Are Credit Card Authorizations?
When a viewer submits a request on your MyCustoms page, they put their card on the line right away. A credit card authorization reserves (or "holds") funds on a buyer's card at the moment they place a request.
Think of it like a hotel putting a hold on your card when you check in. The money hasn't actually left their account yet, but it's locked down and they can't spend it elsewhere. When you complete the request and deliver the video, the hold converts into a real charge and the funds land in your Stripe account instantly.
If you deny the request or it expires, the hold gets released and the buyer's card never gets charged at all.
Why This Matters for Creators
Get More Buyers
If you're a creator who asks for full payment upfront before filming, you are losing buyers. Some viewers are fundamentally skeptical about sending money right away. Card authorizations fix this problem by giving customers certainty of delivery, resulting in more customers.
No More Back-and-Forth
With card authorizations, the back-and-forth with buyers over email or dm is completely skipped. Because you have all the info you need right away, each new request can be completed without waiting for the buyer.
Denying a Request Stays Clean
When you hit deny, the hold gets cancelled, the viewer gets notified, and their card stays untouched. If something changes after accepting and you can't film a request, a refund isn't required because payment was not actually sent yet.
Protection From Chargebacks on Delivered Work
Buyers can dispute a charge after you've already delivered when using informal payment methods like PayPal or Venmo. Because MyCustoms processes payment through Stripe at the moment of delivery, the flow stays clean, documented, and tied to a specific request. Disputes become far less likely and easier to resolve.
You Know Exactly What's in Your Pipeline
Every request in your dashboard shows the authorization status and how many days remain before it expires. You can glance at your queue and know: these are real, funded requests. That makes it easy to plan your filming schedule and prioritize higher-value requests.
How Long Do Authorizations Last?
Card authorization windows vary depending on the card network. Most major networks keep funds reserved for around 30 days, though some card types only permit holds of up to 7 days. MyCustoms displays the exact expiration date on every request, so you always know your deadline.
The practical takeaway: don't sit on accepted requests. Once you've accepted a request, film and upload within a few days. Buyers always prefer getting their video earlier rather than later. And, if the authorization expires before you deliver, you'd lose the payment for that request, though no further penalty applies.
The Bottom Line
Credit card authorizations are quietly one the most creator-frinedly features we've built into the platform. They are the foundation that makes the MyCustoms model work so well. Every request you see comes backed by real money. Every video you film was already paid for before you upload it. Every denial stays effortless and clean.
For creators who've spent years dealing with flaky buyers, unclear payment terms, and post-delivery disputes, MyCustoms offers a fundamentally different way to work.
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