Using Online Payment Requests for Guests

If you’re like most hoteliers, you’re always looking for ways to make the guest experience as smooth and seamless as possible. One way to do that is by using online payment requests. By having this feature enabled, guests can easily pay for their stay without having to go through the hassle of paying for their stay during check-in or filling out paperwork. In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of hotel online payment requests and when to use them. 

The benefits of using online payment requests in your hotel

When running a hotel, there are a lot of things to keep track of. One of the most important, but often overlooked aspects of hotel management is taking payment from guests. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to make this process easier, including using online payment requests. Here’s how hotel online payment requests can benefit both the guests and the hotel.

Flexibility and Convenience for Guests

One of the main benefits of using online payment requests is that they provide guests with a convenient and flexible way to pay for their stay. Guests can easily pay their bill in advance using a credit or debit card, eliminating the need to pay for their stay on-site. Additionally, online payment requests give guests the ability to split their bill among multiple people, making it easy to share the cost of a hotel stay with friends or family through an online virtual terminal. 

With hotel online payment requests, the hotel can receive notifications when the guest has submitted a payment or when the payment request has expired. Guests won’t have to think about settling the payment upon arrival, and it also gives them the freedom to choose their payment method at their convenience. This shortens the check-in process, making guests save more time to enjoy their stay upon arrival.

Hotels can send online payment requests by email which includes a virtual terminal connecting to a Booking Engine. As hoteliers request online payments, they need to clarify and include all the necessary information, such as the amount owed, booking terms and conditions, the due date, and payment methods accepted.

Improved Cash Flow for Hoteliers

Perhaps most notably, one of the biggest benefits of online payment requests is allowing hoteliers to collect payments in advance to improve their cash flow. This is especially beneficial for small hotels that may not have the resources to front the cost of guest stays and help eliminate no-shows. By collecting payments before guests arrive, hoteliers can ensure that guests have the funds on hand to cover all expenses associated with the stay. 

With payments being completed and processed before the guest arrives, the staff can focus their energy and attention on providing guests with the best hotel experience.

Reduced Accounting and Administrative Costs

Another benefit of online payment requests is helping reduce accounting and administrative costs associated with processing payments. When all payments are collected electronically, there is no need to print invoices or process paper checks. This can save your hotel time and money while also reducing your environmental impact. 

You can automate invoicing and ditch this manual work at the front desk. This also minimises possible human error and maximises efficiency in the overall operation, and the staff won’t have to spend a lot of time tracking the status of each invoice. Managing payments and reservations can be made more seamless and effective with hotel online payment requests.

Increased security

Online payments are more secure than traditional methods for a number of reasons. Firstly, online payments are typically processed through PCI-Compliant payment solutions like Kovena. This means that guest credit card details are encrypted and stored in a secure environment. Second, online payments provide you with a paper trail. In the event of any suspicious activity, you can track down the source of the problem and take appropriate action. Finally, online payments give you the ability to set up fraudulent activity alerts. This way, if someone tries to use a stolen credit card to book a room at your hotel, you’ll be notified immediately and can cancel the reservation.