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How ChargeAutomation Works

Learn how ChargeAutomation streamlines the guest journey—from reservation and online check-in to payments, verification, upsells, and arrival.

Written by Thomas

ChargeAutomation helps property managers automate the guest journey from reservation to arrival and beyond.

Instead of managing guest information, payments, identity verification, agreements, security deposits, upsells, and guest instructions across multiple tools and manual processes, ChargeAutomation brings these steps together into a single, customizable digital workflow.

The exact guest journey can be customized based on the property and booking source, so each guest only sees the steps that apply to their reservation.

🏡 What Can ChargeAutomation Automate?

Depending on your setup, ChargeAutomation can help you automate:

  • 📩 Online Check-in

  • 📝 Guest information and custom questions

  • 🪪 ID / passport collection

  • 🤳 Selfie collection

  • ✍️ E-signatures and Terms & Conditions

  • 💳 Reservation payment collection

  • 💰 Scheduled or split payments

  • 🔐 Security Deposit or Damage Waiver

  • 🛡️ Guest screening

  • 🛍️ Upsells and Add-on services

  • 📖 Digital guidebooks

  • 🔑 Guest access information

  • 💬 Guest communication

Not every feature is required. You can turn individual steps on or off and customize the workflow according to your operational requirements. Some features may require a paid plan or additional subscription.

🔗 How the ChargeAutomation Workflow Works

A typical guest journey looks like this:

📅 Reservation Created
↓
​📩 Guest Receives Pre-Check-in Link
↓
​📝 Guest Completes Required Information
↓
​🪪 Identity Verification
↓

🛍️ Upsells

↓
​💳 Payment / Security Deposit or Damage Waiver
↓
​✍️ E-signature & Rental Agreement Acceptance
↓
​📖 Guest Portal
↓
​🔑 Arrival & Access
↓
​🏠 During the Stay

You can customize this flow by property and booking source, including which steps are required, optional, or hidden from the guest.

📅 A Reservation Is Created

The process starts when a reservation is received through your connected Property Management System (PMS) or another supported setup.

ChargeAutomation can synchronize reservation information and use it to determine which guest workflow and payment rules should apply.

You can configure different rules for:

  • 🏠 Individual properties

  • 🌐 Booking sources / channels

  • 💳 Payment requirements

  • 🪪 Verification requirements

  • 🔐 Security Deposit or Damage Waiver

  • 🛍️ Upsells

  • 📝 Guest information

This allows you to create different experiences for different properties or booking channels.

For example, you may require ID verification for direct bookings while using a different workflow for certain OTA reservations.

⚙️ Set Up Your ChargeAutomation Account

Before automating the guest journey, you need to configure your account.

The initial setup generally includes:

💳 Step 1: Connect Your Payment Gateway

Connect your payment gateway if you plan to use ChargeAutomation to collect:

  • Reservation payments

  • Balance payments

  • Security deposits

  • Upsells

  • Other guest charges

Connecting a payment gateway is optional if you are only using ChargeAutomation for features such as online check-in or guest information collection.

🔌 Step 2: Connect Your PMS

Connect your supported PMS to ChargeAutomation.

If you don't use a PMS, ChargeAutomation can also be configured as a standalone solution.

💳 Step 3: Configure Automatic Payment and Security Deposit/Damage Waiver Rules

a. Create payment rules based on your booking source and property.

  • Collect Credit Card Verication

  • Collect full or partial payments before arrival

  • Handle cancellation-related payments

b. Create Security Deposit or Damage Waiver rules based on your booking source and property.

  • Collect a security deposit or damage waiver before check-in

📝 Step 4: Customize the Guest Journey

Choose which information and requirements you want guests to complete.

You can customize the workflow by:

  • Property

  • Booking source

  • Tags

🏠 Step 5: Activate Your Properties

Once your configuration is complete, activate the properties you want to use with ChargeAutomation.

📩 Send the Guest Their Pre-Check-in Link

Once a reservation is created, the guest can receive a personalized pre-check-in link through email or SMS.

The guest does not need to download an app. The process takes place through a web-based experience.

When the guest opens the link, information such as their:

  • 📧 Email

  • 📞 Phone number

  • 👨‍👩‍👧 Number of guests

can be pre-filled to make the process faster.

If a masked email address is detected, ChargeAutomation can prompt the guest to provide their actual email address.

📝 Collect Guest Information

You can use the online check-in workflow to collect information that your property requires before arrival.

Examples include:

  • 👤 Guest name

  • 📧 Email address

  • 📞 Phone number

  • 👨‍👩‍👧 Guest details

  • 📝 Custom questions

  • 🪪 Identification

  • 🤳 Selfie

  • 📄 Documents

  • ✍️ E-signature

  • 📜 Terms & Conditions

Custom questions can be configured and segmented based on the property and booking source.

This means you don't have to ask every guest the same questions.

🪪 Verify Guest Identity

ChargeAutomation provides tools for collecting guest identification and, with Guest Screening, automatically verifying guest identity.

The Guest Screening workflow can use identity-verification technology to collect and validate documents such as IDs or passports and automate selfie collection.

Typical verification flow

🪪 Guest provides ID / passport
↓
​🤳 Guest completes selfie verification
↓
​🔍 Identity verification is performed
↓
​✅ Verification status is recorded

If verification fails, the guest can be notified and given an opportunity to resubmit their documents. A successful verification status can be displayed next to the guest in the Booking Listings Page.

Why use Guest Screening?

Guest Screening can help properties:

  • 🛡️ Improve guest security

  • 🤖 Reduce manual verification work

  • ⏱️ Speed up the pre-arrival process

  • 👀 Monitor verification status

  • 🏠 Create a smoother check-in experience

Important: Guest Screening is an identity-verification tool. Verification should not be interpreted as a guarantee that a reservation is legitimate or that a guest presents no other type of risk.

💳 Collect Reservation Payments

If payment collection is enabled, guests can view their payment requirements during the online check-in journey.

Depending on your configuration, ChargeAutomation can support payment workflows such as:

  • 💳Credit Card Verification

  • 💳 Reservation payments

  • 💰 Balance payments

  • 📅 Scheduled payments

  • 🔀 Split payments

  • ⚠️ Cancellation-related charges

  • 🔄 Automatic refunds

Guests can also add or change their payment method when applicable.

🔐 Collect a Security Deposit or Damage Waiver

If your property requires a security deposit or damage waiver, ChargeAutomation can incorporate the deposit or waiver into the guest journey.

The security deposit can be pre-authorized before arrival, depending on your configuration and payment gateway setup.

This allows the security deposit requirement to become part of the same workflow as:

  • 🪪 Identity verification

  • ✍️ Rental agreement

  • 💳 Payment collection

  • 🛍️ Upsells

  • 📖 Online check-in

Instead of asking guests to complete these tasks separately, you can bring them together into one streamlined experience.

✍️ Collect E-signatures & Terms

ChargeAutomation can collect:

  • ✍️ E-signatures

  • 📜 Terms & Conditions acceptance

  • 📄 Rental agreements

Signed agreements can be downloaded when needed, including for situations such as disputes.

This gives your team a centralized record of the guest's completed agreement and required acknowledgements.

🛍️ Offer Upsells

hargeAutomation can help you generate additional revenue by presenting guests with optional or mandatory add-ons.

Examples include:

  • ⏰ Early check-in

  • 🌙 Late check-out

  • 🛏️ Upgrades

  • 🧹 Additional cleaning

  • 🐶 Pet-related fees

  • 🚗 Transportation

  • 🏊 Additional services

  • 🎟️ Activities

  • 🛡️ Protection products

  • 🍽️ Meals or other services

Upsells can be configured as mandatory or optional, and optional upsells can be configured for immediate purchase or request-based approval.

🛍️ Sell Upsells Without Requiring Online Check-in

Guests don't necessarily need to complete online check-in before purchasing an upsell.

With Upsells , you can give guests a dedicated link or QR code that allows them to:

  1. Enter their Booking ID

  2. Enter their first name

  3. View available add-ons

  4. Purchase the services they want

The upsell can be shared through:

  • 📧 Email

  • 📱 SMS

  • 💬 WhatsApp

  • 🔗 Direct links

  • 📲 QR codes

  • 🤖 Other guest communication tools

Guests can access and purchase available upsells even if they have not completed online check-in.

This provides an additional opportunity to promote services before arrival or during the stay.

📖 Guest Portal

After completing the required online check-in steps, the guest can receive access to their personalized Guest Portal.

The Guest Portal can serve as the guest's digital hub throughout their stay.

Depending on your configuration, guests can access:

  • 📖 Digital guidebook

  • 🏠 Property information

  • 📍 Local recommendations

  • 📶 Wi-Fi information

  • 🔑 Access codes and instructions

  • 🛍️ Available upsells

  • 💬 Guest chat

  • 📋 Other stay information

The Guest Portal helps reduce the need for guests to repeatedly contact your team for basic information.

🔑 Provide Access Information

Once the required guest requirements have been completed, the guest can access the information needed for arrival.

Depending on your integrations and setup, this can include:

  • 🔐 Door/access codes

  • 📶 Wi-Fi information

  • 📍 Arrival instructions

  • 🏠 Property details

  • 📖 Digital guidebook

ChargeAutomation can also work with supported smart-lock integrations to help automate access workflows.

For example, certain PMS integrations can use ChargeAutomation's pre-check-in status to trigger additional automation.

💬 Support the Guest During Their Stay

The guest journey doesn't have to end when online check-in is completed.

The Guest Portal can continue to provide guests with useful information and services during their stay.

Guests can use the portal to:

  • 📖 Review property information

  • 📶 Find Wi-Fi details

  • 🔑 Access instructions

  • 🛍️ Purchase additional services

  • 💬 Communicate with the property

  • 📍 View guides and recommendations

This creates a single digital destination for the guest rather than requiring them to search through multiple emails or messages.

🔄 Keep the Workflow Flexible

One of the key benefits of ChargeAutomation is that you don't have to use every feature for every reservation.

You can customize the guest journey based on:

🏠 Property

Different properties may have different requirements.

Property A
🪪 ID → ✍️ Agreement → 💳 Payment → 🔐 Deposit

Property B

📝 Custom Questions → 💳 Payment → 🛍️ Upsells

🌐 Booking Source

You can also customize workflows based on booking channel.

Direct Booking
🪪 Verification → 💳 Payment → 🔐 Deposit → ✍️ Agreement

OTA Booking
📝 Guest Information → ✍️ Agreement → 🛍️ Upsells

The exact configuration depends on your operational and payment requirements.

🔌 Connect ChargeAutomation With Your PMS

ChargeAutomation can integrate with supported PMS platforms to synchronize booking information and automate workflows.

Once connected, you can configure:

  • 🔄 Booking synchronization

  • 🏠 Property settings

  • 🌐 Booking-source rules

  • 💳 Payment rules

  • 📝 Guest information

  • 🪪 Verification requirements

  • 📖 Guest Portal information

For supported integrations, ChargeAutomation can also push certain completed guest information or statuses back to the PMS.

For example, the Guesty integration supports PMS modification fields such as:

  • caReservationPaid

  • caSDAuthorized

  • caGuestVerified

  • caGuestFailedVerification

These can be used to support additional PMS automations.

🔌 Use ChargeAutomation as a Standalone Solution

You don't necessarily need a PMS integration to use ChargeAutomation.

ChargeAutomation can also be used as a standalone solution when appropriate.

For businesses with custom systems, ChargeAutomation also provides an Open API that can be used to build custom integrations and automate payment and guest-management workflows.

🧩 A Complete Example

Here's what a fully automated guest journey might look like:

📅 1. Reservation

A guest makes a reservation.

⬇️

📩 2. Pre-check-in Link

The guest receives a link through email or SMS.

⬇️

📝 3. Guest Information

The guest confirms their contact details and answers any required custom questions.

⬇️

🪪 4. Identity Verification

The guest provides an ID/passport and completes selfie verification if Guest Screening is enabled.

⬇️

✍️ 5. Agreement

The guest signs the rental agreement and accepts the property's Terms & Conditions.

⬇️

💳 6. Payment

The guest completes any required reservation payment or remaining balance.

⬇️

🔐 7. Security Deposit

The required security deposit is pre-authorized.

⬇️

🛍️ 8. Upsells

The guest is offered optional services such as early check-in or late check-out.

⬇️

📖 9. Guest Portal

The guest receives access to their personalized guidebook and stay information.

⬇️

🔑 10. Arrival

The guest receives the information required to access the property.

⬇️

🏠 11. Stay

The guest continues using the Guest Portal for information, communication, and additional purchases.

💡 Best Practice

The best ChargeAutomation setup is not necessarily the one with the most steps.

Instead, configure the workflow around what your business actually needs.

A simple guest journey might be:

📩 Check-in → ✍️ Agreement → 📖 Guest Portal

A more comprehensive workflow might be:

📩 Check-in → 📝 Guest Information → 🪪 Verification → ✍️ Agreement → 💳 Payment → 🔐 Deposit → 🛍️ Upsells → 📖 Guest Portal → 🔑 Access

Start with the requirements that are essential to your operation, then add additional automation and revenue opportunities as needed.

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