Pre-authorized debit (PAD in Canada, ACSS in Stripe) is a Canadian pre-authorized bank debit payment method. It's cheaper than card (lower Stripe fees), but slower: verifying the bank account and settling each payment takes several business days. This article explains how the customer signs their mandate, how to add or check it on the operator side, and how to troubleshoot common situations.
Who this article is for
Viewing pre-authorized debit is available to all roles. Changing a rental's payment method or adding one requires the Owner or Manager role.
Before using pre-authorized debit
The facility must have PAD (ACSS) active on its Stripe Connect account. The setting lives in Site settings > Billing, under Accepted payment methods:
Credit card only — default: only card is offered to the customer. Credit card and pre-authorized debit (PAD) — both options are offered. Pre-authorized debit (PAD) only — only PAD is offered.
PAD also needs to be an active capability on your connected Stripe account; without that capability, the Bank account option won't appear in Stripe's forms even after changing the setting above. If the option doesn't activate after this change, contact Stripe support to enable ACSS on your account.
The "Accepted payment methods" setting, with the three available choices.
Process overview
Payment choice: the customer picks pre-authorized debit at checkout, or you add it manually to their profile. Stripe opens Financial Connections.
Bank entry: the customer enters their banking information (institution number, transit, account) or connects via Plaid.
Verification: Stripe verifies the account. Three possible modes — instant verification via Plaid (rare in Canada), microdeposits (1 to 3 business days), or manual verification of the microdeposit amounts.
Active mandate: the customer can be debited. The first invoice takes 1 to 5 business days to settle, and each recurring invoice follows the same delay.
Payment confirmation: the invoice moves to Paid and gate access is restored or provisioned.
Customer-side flow
Online sign-up via the storefront
At checkout, the customer chooses Pre-authorized debit (default on storefronts configured as PAD-only). The help text shows: "Authorize a bank account now. Stripe may verify it instantly or by microdeposits before full activation."
The customer clicks Continue and is redirected to Stripe Checkout, where they enter the Account holder name and click Set up a bank account. Stripe opens Financial Connections: the customer picks instant verification via Plaid, or verify manually (direct entry of the institution number, transit number, and account number).
The customer confirms and accepts the pre-authorized debit mandate. After confirmation, Stripe may show Processing during verification.
Successful verification
The mandate moves to Pre-authorized mandate active (visible in the customer portal). The first invoice is issued and the debit initiated. The customer is redirected to the confirmation page.
Reuse for a new booking
For an existing customer with an active mandate, the checkout screen shows Pre-authorized mandate active with a Confirm rental button (no new banking entry needed). The Use another bank account button lets them change accounts.
Operator-side flow
Step 1.
Open the customer's record (Contacts tab) and find the Payment method section further down the page. If the customer has no payment method on file, the section shows No cards on file.
The Payment method section of a contact record, with the Add card button.
Step 2.
Click Add card. The label is generic, but the button opens Stripe Elements, which offers Card and Bank account depending on the capabilities active on your connected Stripe account. If only Card appears, PAD (ACSS) likely isn't yet an active capability on your account: contact Stripe support to enable it.
No payment method on file: the Add card button opens Stripe Elements.
Step 3.
If the Bank account option appears, the customer (or you, with the customer present) follows the same flow as online sign-up: account holder name, then instant verification or manual entry of the institution number, transit number, and account number.
View the payment method on a rental
Open the rental record. In the Billing or Payment method section, the Pre-authorized debit badge shows if the rental is on PAD. For details (account name, mandate state), see the Activity tab or the contact record.
Convert a rental from card to pre-authorized debit
There's no direct button to switch a rental from card to PAD. The customer must first add a pre-authorized debit via their customer portal (Billing page, Add a payment method button), then mark it as the default payment method. Future invoices on the rental will be debited by PAD; historical invoices don't change. See Convert a rental to auto-billing for the equivalent card-side procedure.
What happens automatically
When the mandate is signed
Stripe creates a Setup Intent linked to the customer's account. Stortech records the payment method on the customer record. If the rental is in the middle of sign-up, the first invoice is generated and the debit initiated.
During verification
The mandate is in processing. Stortech displays the mandate as active on the customer record but marks invoices as Open until settlement. Gate access isn't provisioned until the first invoice is confirmed paid.
On successful payment
The invoice moves to Paid. Gate access is provisioned or restored. The customer receives the welcome email and the Stripe receipt. See Invoices.
On failed payment
The invoice stays Open with a recorded failure. Common causes: insufficient funds, closed account, revoked mandate. Stripe may retry based on the connected account configuration. Gate access may be suspended. See Declined or failed payment.
When the mandate is revoked
The customer can revoke the mandate from their bank or via Stripe. Stortech clears the default payment method. The next invoice will fail until a new method is recorded.
Important statuses and fields
Item | Meaning |
Pre-authorized debit | The payment method at checkout. |
Pre-authorized mandate active | Customer-side indicator that a mandate is in place. |
Card + pre-authorized debit (PAD) | Setting in Settings > Billing offering both methods. |
Processing | Mandate being verified, the customer must wait. |
mandate_required (invoice error) | "This customer has no pre-authorized payment method set up." |
Differences between card and pre-authorized debit
Aspect | Card | Pre-authorized debit |
Stripe fees | Higher (about 2.9% + $0.30) | Lower (about 1% + $0.50 or flat rate) |
Settlement speed | Near-instant | 1 to 5 business days |
Initial verification | At the next charge | Microdeposits or Plaid before the first debit |
Payment failure | Immediate decline code | Failure reported several days later |
Gate access | Enabled quickly | Enabled after first payment (up to 5 days) |
Stripe availability | Universal | Canada only (Canadian connected account) |
Common issues
The customer is stuck on "Processing" for several hours.
What to check: the mandate state on the Stripe dashboard.
What to do: in production, up to 1 to 3 business days is normal. In sandbox, verification takes a few minutes. Wait or contact Stripe support if the delay is abnormal.
The customer entered a wrong account number.
What to check: an invalid mandate never activates.
What to do: ask the customer to return to checkout and restart the flow.
The customer wants to know when their gate access will be enabled.
What to check: it's after confirmation of the first payment by Stripe.
What to do: explain the delay up front: 1 to 5 business days.
An invoice shows the mandate_required error.
What to check: is the customer's ACSS mandate set up? Has it been revoked?
What to do: add a payment method via the customer record, or switch the rental to a card.
The customer wants to revoke their mandate.
What to check: the customer can do it from their portal (Payment method, remove or change) or directly with their bank.
What to do: Stortech will receive the notification automatically.
The Pre-authorized debit option doesn't appear at checkout.
What to check: is the setting in Settings > Billing set to Credit card and pre-authorized debit (PAD) or Pre-authorized debit (PAD) only, and is PAD an active capability on your connected Stripe account?
What to do: adjust the setting, then if the Bank account option still doesn't appear in Stripe Elements, contact Stripe support to enable ACSS on your connected account.
An invoice failed with insufficient_funds.
What to check: the customer's account doesn't have the funds.
What to do: ask the customer to deposit the funds. Stripe may retry automatically, or the customer can pay manually via their portal.
Stripe shows Paid but Stortech says Open.
What to check: has the payment webhook been processed?
What to do: see the "Customer says they paid" support procedure article. If the webhook failed, contact support for a replay.
Common questions
How do I enable pre-authorized debit for my facility? Go to Settings > Billing and choose Credit card and pre-authorized debit (PAD) or Pre-authorized debit (PAD) only under Accepted payment methods. PAD also needs to be an active capability on your connected Stripe account; if not, contact Stripe support to enable it.
How long does the first confirmation of a pre-authorized debit payment take? 1 to 5 business days after the customer signs their mandate. Gate access isn't provisioned until that first confirmation.
Why is the customer stuck on "Processing" for several hours? In production, bank account verification can take 1 to 3 business days. In sandbox, a few minutes. Wait or contact Stripe support if the delay is unusually long.
How do I convert a rental from card to pre-authorized debit? The customer must first add a pre-authorized debit via their customer portal, then mark it as the default payment method. Future invoices will be debited by PAD; historical invoices don't change.
The "Pre-authorized debit" option doesn't appear at checkout. Why? Check the Accepted payment methods setting in Settings > Billing, and that PAD is an active capability on your connected Stripe account. If not, contact Stripe support to enable this capability.