Declined Preauthorization Attempts for Expedia Virtual Credit Cards (VCCs)

Article ID: WEA-934-EXP-VCC-001

Last Updated: 21/08/2025

Product: Juno Hospitality Suite

Overview

This article addresses the issue of declined preauthorization attempts when using an Expedia Virtual Credit Card (VCC) for a guest's reservation. Our Juno customers frequently report this problem.

The core issue:

Expedia VCCs are designed as a secure, single-use payment method that is not activated until a specific timeframe before a guest's arrival. When our system (or any other payment processor) attempts to perform a preauthorization before this activation period, the card is declined by the Acquirer (ACQ) because it is not yet active and cannot be charged.

Understanding the Process

Expedia Collect Bookings: When a guest makes a booking on Expedia and pays at the time of reservation, Expedia processes the payment and provides the hotel with a single-use Virtual Credit Card (VCC).

VCC Activation: Expedia's policy is to activate the VCC only when the guest is within a certain timeframe of their check-in date. This is typically within 48 hours of arrival, but some sources indicate it may be active on the day of check-in. This is a security feature to protect both the guest and the hotel.

Preauthorization Attempts: When you attempt to preauthorize the card for a security deposit or other charges before the VCC is active, the transaction fails. The PSP receives a "declined" response because the card is not yet valid for charging.

Common Errors

You may see a decline message in your Juno/Opera portal with a code indicating the card is inactive or has insufficient funds. This is a standard response for an inactivated VCC and does not mean there's an issue with the card details themselves.

Solution and Workaround

At the present time, the only guaranteed solution is to adhere to Expedia's VCC activation policy. The workaround for our Juno customers is to wait until the guest's arrival is within the 48-hour window before attempting any preauthorization. This ensures that the VCC is active and the transaction will be successful.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Access the guest's reservation details in your system.
2. Check the guest's arrival date.
3. Do not attempt to preauthorize or tokenize the Expedia VCC until the reservation is within 48 hours of the scheduled check-in time.
4. If the preauthorization is still required, you can then process it through your Juno payment terminal.

Important Note: The Expedia VCC is specifically for the room and tax portion of the booking. Any additional charges, such as incidental fees, minibar usage, or resort fees, should be collected from the guest directly using their personal credit card upon check-in.

Additional Information

We understand this may be an inconvenience for properties that require preauthorization well in advance of a guest's stay. Our development team is actively exploring potential solutions and integrations that could provide a more seamless experience for our customers, but this is a complex issue related to Expedia's security policies.

For any further questions or to report a related issue, please contact the 934 support team via support@weare934.com or visit weare934.com/support