Important to know:
To access this feature, go to Payments > Automated payments tab.
Payments must be enabled to access Automated payments. You can enable Payments by choosing a payment gateway and following the instructions.
The full features of Automated payments can only be used with the SiteMinder Payments gateway.
Introduction to Automated payments
The Automated payments feature lets you set up a maximum of two automatic charges across your guest’s booking experience. Multiple rules can be set up and applied to various reservations. Every rule has conditions that determine which reservation it applies to. For example: card type, rate plans, and channels.
Example:
Create a rule that is triggered if a reservation meets all of these conditions:
“Virtual credit card” type
“Double room” rate plan
Booking.com channel
Configure the rule to make two automatic charges after it has been triggered:
Charge one: on the check-in day for the first night’s stay (deposit).
Charge two: the remaining amount on the check-out day.
Note:
There is a Quick help guide available on the page to demonstrate how it works.
The full features of Automated payments can only be used with SiteMinder Payments gateway. Automated deposits can be used with some third-party payment gateways, but the other features cannot be used with these gateways. If using a third-party gateway, all payments must either be taken at the time of booking or be taken manually.
Create a rule
Go to Payments > Automated payments tab.
Click on Create a rule.
Follow the step-by-step guide to create the rule.
When using the guide, take note of the following:
Step One - Card type:
Standard credit cards will be validated at the time of booking. Credit card validation can prevent invalid credit cards from being used.
Virtual credit cards are only pre-validated by the channel, and not by the platform.
Step Two - Rate plans and channels:
Select the rate plan and channels for this rule to apply to. The rule will trigger when this rate plan is booked through any of these channels.
Rate plan - select a rate plan from the dropdown menu. A list of channels will appear for you to select from.
Channels - select one or more channels. Keep in mind:
Each combination of rate plan and channel can only be used (triggered) by one payment rule.
Some direct booking rate configurations prevent the rate from being used in conjunction with the platform’s Automated payments feature.
Each combination of rate plan and channel can only be used (triggered) by one payment rule.
Step Three - Payment rule:
This rule can make one or two automatic charges to the guest’s credit card. These charges must add up to the full cost of the booking.
In the Payment action section, use the dropdown menus to set up the rule:
If Full amount is selected, a second payment action cannot be selected, because there is no remaining amount to charge.
If Deposit - First night’s stay is selected, the cost of the first night’s stay in the booking will be charged as a deposit, at a time that you select.
Or, for Deposit - Percentage , you can specify a percentage of the total booking cost to charge as a deposit.
In the Secondary action section , use the dropdown menus to set the action for the remaining amount that was not yet charged (if applicable).
Step Four - Rule name and description:
The rule name and description should describe the rule so it can be easily identified.
Step Five - Review and activate:
Confirm all settings before activating the rule as they cannot be updated afterwards. The payment rule will take effect immediately upon activation.
Activate the rule.
View your rules
Go to Payments > Automated payments tab to see a list of all your created rules.
Use the Status filter to view rules by:
All
Active
Archived
Click on the arrow icon next to any rule to open a detailed summary, including the date it was created, conditions, payment actions, and any secondary actions you set.
Edit your rules
Go to Payments > Automated payments tab to see a list of all your created rules.
Click on the ellipsis (...) icon to the right of any rule to open the Actions menu:
Edit rule - edit the rule name or description (the configuration is fixed).
Archive rule - use this to permanently archive your rule (cannot be undone). Confirm or cancel your decision in the pop-up window.
Automated payment rules cannot be deleted. They can be archived so you have a record of all previous rules.