[PostFinance] What does "this transaction has to be confirmed manually in the administration module to generate a payment" mean?

The confirmation email indicates that you proceed in two steps for credit card transactions: first authorisation, then data capture (payment confirmation). This way of working is specific to credit cards. It allows you to verify that the card is valid and reserve the amount of the transaction for you, so that you can request the payment later on. Authorisations are usually valid for approximately 12 days, but this may vary depending on the type of credit card, the acquirer and the country you are based in. Please check with your acquirer if you need to know how long credit card authorisations are valid for you.
To confirm a transaction manually, you must first log in to your account. On the first page after logging in (home), click the link in red: “Caution! There are authorized orders that will expire in less than 3 days…”. This will provide you with an overview of all transactions that need manual confirmation. These transactions will be in “Status 5 - authorized”. As you can see, every transaction has a button on the left side (in the “Ref” column). The transaction details can be displayed by clicking on this button. Here, you can also find the function for performing manual confirmations (or data captures). By clicking and confirming this action, the selected transaction will be sent to your acquirer for approval of the data capture. You will see “Status 91 - payment pending” until we receive the confirmation from your acquirer. The status will then change to “Status 9 - payment requested”. This is the last status for any transaction and it means you will get paid. As it is your acquirer - and not PostFinance - that actually transfers the amount to your bank account, we are unable to indicate exactly when you will receive your money.