About Automated payments
To set up Automated payment rules, go to Payments > Automated payments tab.
Automated payments is a feature available in SiteMinder Pay that enables you to set up payment rules to charge guests automatically at different times in their booking journey.
Two automatic charges can be set up, adding up to the full cost of the booking. For example, you could set up a rule to automatically charge a partial deposit once a booking is confirmed, then charge the remaining amount on check-in or check-out day.
Automated payments can be used for reservations made through the following channels:
Booking.com
Expedia
Hotelbeds
Direct booking.
You can set up multiple Automated payment rules to apply to different reservations. You can set up Automated payment rules based on:
Card type — Standard credit cards or Virtual credit cards.
Specific rate plans and channels.
For example, you can set up an Automated payment for OTA collect reservations (that use virtual credit cards), for your “standard” and “breakfast included” rate plans.
Note:
Standard credit cards will be validated at the time of booking. If a credit card cannot be validated, the Automated payment will fail and you will need to request a different card from the guest and process the payment manually.
Virtual credit cards (VCCs) are pre-validated by the channel. For VCCs, the payment will be automatically processed on the VCC’s activation date for the full balance available.
Note that Automated payments cannot be used with some direct booking rate configurations. Examples include if the direct booking rate:
Already has the Deposit control setting enabled.
Has been set to “Pre-payment not needed to secure booking” or “Pre-payment needed if guest intends to check-in after”.
Set up an Automated payment rule
To set up an Automated payment rule:
Go to Payments > Automated payments tab.
Click on the Create a rule + button.
Add conditions that apply to the rule, including the Card type, Rate plan and channels, and the Payment rule.
Add a Rule name and description.
Review and activate the rule.
View and manage Automated payment rules
To view and manage all of your Automated payment rules, go to Payments > Automated payments tab.
You can filter by status, and 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.
Click on the ellipsis button (three dots button) to the right of any rule to:
Edit rule — edit the rule name or description. (The rule’s conditions are fixed.)
Archive rule — use this to permanently archive your rule. (They will be archived so you have a record of all previous rules, but will not be deleted.)