Authorisation devices are used to run authorisation operations or to cancel payment authorisation. They can also be used to authorise client's promotion categories.

Authorisation devices can support preauthorisation that tells the cashier the remaining balance on the client account before making any payment. If the operating speed of the authorisation device and communication channels allows to make quick preauthorisation, you might find it useful to set up automatic preauthorisation. In this case the client account balance will be checked automatically when entering the payment mode.

Authorisation devices in Tillypad XL can be represented both by physical devices and by a software that ensures authorisation process.

Just as any other device used in the system, the authorisation device must be entered in the Devices directory. It must have the device parameters, the used authorisation formats, and the authorisation voiding formats specified for it. If the device is used for payment authorisation, it must have the payment authorisation device parameter and sales setting configured for it. If the device is used for promotion category authorisation, it must have the promotion category authorisation device parameter specified for it.

When you run the first authorisation operation on the device, the information about the authorisation device is automatically added to the Authorisation devices directory. Each authorisation device described in the directory must belong to an authorisation device type, described in the Authorisation device types directory.

Payment authorisation device connects to a network terminal (e.g. POS-terminal, till). The terminal is connected to a server that allows to make a real-time authorisation. The authorisation device reads information from the presented payment means, then the payment or the payment means suppression is initiated via the terminal, and the printing device issues a receipt in a predefined format.

You can specify the successful authorisation or the negative authorisation message formats for each authorisation device in the Devices directory.

Operations run on authorisation devices are recorded in the Authorisation operations log.