What aspect does the 'auth only' process rarely touch upon?

The 'auth only' process primarily focuses on validating a transaction by confirming that the cardholder's account is active and capable of supporting the transaction. This involves establishing account validity and verifying merchant identity, which ensures that both the consumer and the merchant are authorized to engage in the transaction.

Charging the cardholder's account typically occurs during the capture phase of a transaction, which is separate from the authorization process. The 'auth only' step is essentially a hold on funds rather than an actual transfer; therefore, it does not engage in any actual charging of the cardholder's account. This distinction is crucial in understanding the role of authorization in the payment process, as it emphasizes the importance of validating transactions without moving funds.

Transaction fees, while often a consideration in the overall payment processing structure, are not a direct concern of the 'auth only' process, as this step is about confirming details rather than processing payment fees.