The payment plan type "payment card plan" must be assigned to the sales document type for the document you are processing. You can assign this in Customizing for Sales and Distribution by choosing Billing ® Payment Cards ® Maintain Payment Card Plan Types.

Payment card data may only be entered at the header level, so you cannot enter card data for each item.

The card authorization must cover the entire sales order value. If it does not, the system will warn you to reauthorize.

When creating a sales order you can define multiple authorization values for a single payment card. Choose Header ® Payment Cards and enter the data for multiple authorizations in the Payment Card Plan. To set the system to automatically create multiple authorizations for a single card see user exit AUTHORIZATION_VALUE_SPLIT ( in include MV45AFZH). If you need only one authorization you can enter the data directly in the fast entry field in the sales order.

You create a sales order with a payment card just as you do a standard sales order.

The system checks the card number you have entered to ensure that it corresponds to the numbering standards of the relevant payment card company (for example, checking to make sure that a Visa card number begins with "4"). This reduces the risk of having to go through a lengthy authorization process with an incorrect card number.

The system also checks the expiration date for any irregularities and issues a warning message when it finds past dates or expiration dates in the near future. In this way, if you type in an incorrect date, the system catches your mistake. If the expiration date is approaching, you can take special care that the card is still valid when the items are delivered.

The system automatically authorizes card information when you save the sales order. It issues a message informing you that the authorization was successful. If the clearing house rejects the card data or authorization value, the system blocks the sales order and issues a warning message.

To display current authorization data, return to the sales order in display mode. Call up the payment card plan to view the status of the authorization. You will be able to see:

• If the system has set a block
• Whether the clearing house was reached
• The result of the individual checks at the clearing house

For an overview of an authorization, scroll right in the authorization item. For detailed information, select the item and choose Detail. The system displays all current information pertaining to authorization, including codes, accounts, times, and dates.