When a customer places an order with Beretta and pays by credit or debit card, the customer's card is not charged until the order is shipped from our warehouse. Items that are on backorder are not charged to the customer's card until they are shipped. If a customer has multiple items on order, when the first items are packed for shipment, we charge the order shipping charge and applicable sales taxes for the value of the goods being shipped. Items that are on backorder and later become shippable are charged separately from the original order. In the instances of backorders shipping, the customer will see multiple charges on their bank statement reflecting charges as items are shipped from our warehouse. In no case, should the total charges exceed the total value of the order, including shipping charges and applicable sales taxes.
Typically, the customer (and sometimes the person that they talk to at the bank) doesn't understand the difference between authorization and delayed capture transactions with credit and debit cards.
When we are preparing to pick the goods from the warehouse, we receive an Authorization from the cardholder's issuing bank to reserve the funds for the value of the goods we are about to ship. This authorization is not an actual charge against the card, but does "hold" the funds. If the Authorization is not used within 3 business days (varies by bank), then the Authorization expires and the hold is lifted by the bank.
In the case where we are ready to ship the goods, we then go and obtain a delayed capture against the authorization. The delayed capture "consumes" the authorization, which means that the administrative hold on the funds is released and the customer's card is charged for the goods that are then shipped. In this case, there are two transactions, but only the delayed capture is a charge on the customer's card. It is a two-step process as opposed to a one-step Sales transaction used by store front merchants where the money and goods exchange hands at the same time.
Debit cards work slightly different in that the customer will see an initial charge as "pending" (this is the Authorization step described above) and then a second charge (the Delayed Capture process.) The pending charge will typically expire within 3-5 business days, depending upon the policies of the customer's bank. Ultimately, the customer is only charged once for the transaction.
Finally, for gas stations that accept credit cards at the pump and e-Commerce merchants, the authorization/delayed capture method of reserving/collecting payment is very common.
In instances where the customer believes that there are in fact multiple charges on their credit card for the same order, they should contact Beretta Customer Support for clarification and resolution.
The image below indicates a typical Authorization/Delayed Capture process currently used by Beretta and many e-Commerce merchants.