Authorize.Net Authorize.Net Payment Gateway

Authorize.Net's Customer Information Manager (CIM) stores bidder payment profiles securely, allowing AuctionFlow to charge winning bidders at auction close without requiring them to re-enter card details. When a bidder registers for an auction and provides a payment method, AuctionFlow creates a CIM profile in Authorize.Net, storing a tokenized reference to the card. At settlement, AuctionFlow charges the CIM profile for the hammer price plus buyer premium. This eliminates the manual card collection process that many auction houses still use — calling winning bidders after the auction to collect payment — and reduces the non-payment rate by ensuring a valid payment method is on file before bidding begins.

Authorize.Net settles transactions in daily batches to the auction house's merchant account. AuctionFlow tags each transaction with the auction event ID, lot number, and bidder ID, enabling the auction house to reconcile the Authorize.Net settlement batch against AuctionFlow's auction settlement report at the lot level. For auction houses processing multiple events per week, this tagging structure eliminates the manual reconciliation effort that comes from matching generic credit card deposits to specific auction lot payments.

For auction houses offering subscription bidder programs — such as premium membership with reduced buyer premiums, early lot preview access, or priority registration — AuctionFlow creates Automated Recurring Billing (ARB) subscriptions in Authorize.Net. Subscription billing is managed through Authorize.Net's recurring payment engine, with AuctionFlow updating the bidder's membership status based on active/cancelled subscription state. Failed recurring payments trigger a grace period workflow where the bidder retains membership benefits for a configurable number of days while the billing issue is resolved.