When you use a debit card online or on the phone it is no longer a debit card it is being used as a credit card.
How we process credit cards.
At Walter Knoll Florist when you place an order we authorize your credit card within a few minutes of placing an order. We receive an authorization number from the credit card processor. After the order has been delivered we present the transaction and authorization number and matching amount of the authorization back to the credit card processor and we capture the credit card. If we do not have all these items match then the transaction is either declined or derated.
Debit Cards.
The issue is if you use a debit card at the time of authorization the money becomes reserved that it is no longer available in your account. We do not have the money until after the capture (after the flowers are delivered). If we were to cancel the transaction it does not make the funds available to your account. The amount of time until the funds are available again is up to your credit cards issuing bank. If the amount of your order were to change we have no choice but the re-authorize the card. There is not such thing as a change, partial or a cancel authorization. This will cause both authorizations to make the total of the sum of the authorizations of the funds unavailable in your account. Remember we do not have any money until after the flowers are delivered. The time until unavailable funds are returned is at the sole discretion of your bank. This is not just a Walter Knoll Florist issue but is true for all online/phone vendors.
Walter Knoll Florist wants to make you aware of this issue so that if you choose to use debit card you know the issues involved.