When you semi-integrate your point of sale (POS) system with Clover devices, merchants can complete different types of customer transactions on the devices. The three core semi-integrated transaction types used across Clover SDKs are:

• Sale: Transaction that cannot be tip adjusted after the card transaction occurs. A tip amount can be provided, but only if it is added before the card transaction occurs. A Sale is also used for transactions that are not tipped. Typical places where Sales occur include quick service restaurants, where a customer selects the tip amount directly before using their card for payment, and retail stores, where tipping is not expected.
• Auth: Transaction in which a tip can be added after the initial card transaction. The tip adjustment does not require the physical card to interact directly with the payment processing device a second time. Auths frequently occur at full service restaurants, where a customer provides a credit card to be authorized for an initial value, and then adds a tip amount to the receipt after the card is charged.
• PreAuth: Transaction that validates funds availability and places a hold for a specific amount but does not charge the customer. At hotels, merchants can place a hold on a customer's payment method—a physical card or digital wallet—during check-in and then update the transaction with necessary charges during checkout.

Action post-transaction

Once a transaction (Sale, Auth, or PreAuth) is successfully submitted, the following post-transaction actions can be taken:

Sale

• Void: Cancels the payment if requested within the 25-minute window. Clover treats the payment as if it never occurred. Requests made after 25 minutes are processed as payment refunds.
• PaymentRefund: Submits a transaction to reverse the payment charge. If executed within the 25-minute void window, it is processed as a Void in the backend but reported as a refund in Clover apps.

Auth

• Void: Cancels the open authorization prior to batch closeout.
• PaymentRefund (full amount only): Reverses the authorized payment charge prior to closeout (restricted to full transaction amount only).
• TipAdjustAuth: Adjusts the tip amount on an open Auth before settlement.
• Closeout (Batch action): Finalizes all open Auths for a merchant and converts them to settled Sales (non-tip-adjustable). Does not affect PreAuths.

Pre-auth

• Void: Releases the authorization hold on the cardholder's funds.
• CapturePreAuth: Converts the PreAuth hold into an Auth (tip-adjustable) by specifying the final charge amount and an optional tip.

Learn more about Transaction types.