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Authorizations CSVs Explained

Authorization CSVs provide visibility into transactions evaluated during the authorization stage of the payment lifecycle—before settlement occurs. These reports are delivered only for programs that use Client Authorization and are designed to help clients monitor authorization activity, decisioning, and outcomes in near‑real time.

Authorization CSVs complement settlement‑based reporting by surfacing transactions earlier in their lifecycle, giving operational visibility into transactions that are awaiting approval or were denied before posting or settlement.

This guide provides an overview of authorization‑related reports, including what they represent, when they are produced, and how they fit into Newline’s broader reporting model.

What Are Authorization CSVs?

Authorization CSVs contain transactions that are evaluated prior to settlement and require a client authorization decision as part of the transaction flow.

These reports surface transactions that are:

  • Awaiting client authorization, or
  • Denied during authorization

Authorization CSVs are not generated for programs that do not use Client Authorization and do not represent settled or posted transactions.

Where Authorization CSVs Fit in the Reporting Lifecycle

Authorization CSVs represent an early stage in the transaction lifecycle and should be interpreted differently than settlement‑based or posting‑based reports.

At a high level:

  • Authorization CSVs show transactions before settlement
  • Settlement‑based CSVs (Settled / Updated Transactions) show transactions after processing completes
  • Posted Transactions CSVs align with bank statement posting

Because of this, Authorization CSVs are used primarily for operational monitoring and decision tracking, not reconciliation.

Feature Dependencies

Authorization CSVs are delivered only when all of the following are enabled:

  • Virtual Reference Numbers (VRNs)
  • Client Authorization
  • Intraday Reporting

If any of these features are not enabled, Authorization CSVs are not delivered.

Once enabled, Authorization CSVs:

  • Are delivered automatically
  • Cannot be independently disabled

Authorization CSV Types

When the required features are enabled, two Authorization CSVs may be delivered.

Pending Authorization CSV

The Pending Authorization CSV includes transactions that:

  • Require client authorization
  • Have not yet been approved or denied
  • Have not proceeded to settlement

This report represents transactions that are waiting on an authorization decision.

Denied Authorization CSV

The Denied Authorization CSV includes transactions that:

  • Were denied by the client, or
  • Were denied during bank authorization

Transactions included in this report do not proceed to settlement and will not appear in settlement‑based or posted transaction reports.

When Authorization CSVs Are Produced

Authorization CSVs are produced as part of Intraday reporting and align with the timing of authorization evaluation.

Delivery Timing and Cadence

  • Delivered at the same Intraday interval as other Intraday reports
  • Generated at every interval, even when no authorization activity occurs
  • Delivered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
  • May be delivered as headers‑only files when no qualifying transactions exist

Authorization CSVs are not delivered independently from other Intraday reports.

Bundling Behavior

Authorization CSVs are delivered as part of the Intraday reporting bundle.

When Intraday reporting is enabled, the following reports are always delivered:

  • Settled Transactions (Intraday)
  • Updated Transactions (Intraday)
  • Accounts (Intraday)

Authorization CSVs are included only if VRNs and Client Authorization are enabled.

Individual Intraday CSVs cannot be selected or excluded independently.

Relationship to Other Transaction Reports

Authorization CSVs provide visibility into transactions before settlement:

  • Transactions in the Pending Authorization CSV may later appear in settlement‑based reports if approved
  • Transactions in the Denied Authorization CSV do not appear in settlement‑based or posted transaction reports

This makes Authorization CSVs complementary to, but not interchangeable with, other reporting outputs.

Header‑Only Authorization CSVs

Authorization CSVs may be delivered as files that contain:

  • Column headers
  • No data rows

Header‑only Authorization CSVs:

  • Are expected and valid
  • Indicate that no authorization activity occurred during the interval
  • Do not indicate a delivery or processing error

Clients should treat header‑only files as successful deliveries.

Sandbox and Production Behavior

Authorization CSV behavior is consistent across environments:

  • File structure is the same
  • Delivery cadence is the same
  • Header‑only behavior applies in both Sandbox and Production

Differences between environments relate to data realism, not delivery mechanics.

FAQs

Why am I receiving Authorization CSVs?

Authorization CSVs are delivered because VRNs, Client Authorization, and Intraday reporting are enabled for your program.

Can I disable only the Denied Authorization CSV?

No. Authorization CSVs are delivered as part of the Intraday reporting bundle and are not individually configurable.

Why is my Authorization CSV empty?

Because no transactions required authorization during that Intraday interval.

Updated 9 days ago