How to stop multiple card authorizations

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

Main issue: Orders requiring Texas sales tax trigger two card authorizations, causing temporary holds on customer funds (especially problematic for debit cards).

Observed checkout flow:

  • Shopify calculates tax and places an authorization (a temporary hold on funds).
  • Tax is immediately recalculated to a different amount.
  • The original authorization is canceled.
  • A new authorization is created and then charged.

Timing: All steps happen immediately during checkout.

Impact: Customers experience duplicate authorizations and fund holds, leading to frustration.

Open questions:

  • Are customers initially shown the incorrect (first) tax amount before recalculation?
  • Why does Shopify’s tax calculation change mid-checkout, and can this behavior be fixed or prevented?

Status: No resolution or actions identified in the discussion; the poster seeks an explanation and a fix for the tax/authorization behavior.

Summarized with AI on December 20. AI used: gpt-5.
1

Every single order someone makes in Texas on my site requires sales tax to be charged results in a double card authorization which makes customers very mad as it can hold up their funds especially if they use a debit card.

Every order follows this pattern:

Checkout →

Shopify calculates tax →

places an authorization →

recalculates tax (different amount now) →

cancels old authorization →

makes new authorization and charges

Note that all of the above happens immediately. Also is the customer being shown the incorrect tax amount that it initially showed? Why is shopify tax so stupid, how can I fix it?