What is ChargeAutomation?
ChargeAutomation is a globally-recognized leader in online check-in, smart payment collection, upsell, deposit collection and guest portal designed for hotels, B&B's, vacation rentals, hostels, car rentals & other equipment rentals.

Does ChargeAutomation offer solutions for other industries?

Yes, ChargeAutomation is used by various other industries. Speak with an expert to learn about our industry specific offerings. ChargeAutomation has offerings for Government, Real Estate, Rentals, Marketplace and Financial Services.

​What channel manager, PMS or gateway do you integrate with?
You can find the list of all platforms we integrate with here.

If you do not find what you're looking for, send us a request via [email protected].

Can I use ChargeAutomation as a standalone without PMS?

Yes. You can use ChargeAutomation as a standalone solution, simply select "No PMS" during the integration setup.

Does ChargeAutomation collect my funds?

No. ChargeAutomation uses your connected payment gateway, so you are in control of your funds at all time.

Do I need to have a payment gateway to use your software?

If you want to collect or authorize payments or offer upsells to your customers,yes you will need to have one.

Otherwise, it is not needed and you can still use ChargeAutomation for online check-n, personalized guest portal & guidebook

Can we use ChargeAutomation with multiple users? How much is the fee?

Absolutely! You can invite team members to join your account

Can you collect Security/Damage deposits?
Yes. You can collect security or damage deposit from any booking source in a form of authorization. You can capture partial or full amount in case of damage and deposit can be released automatically or manually. Find answers to your questions about Security/Damage deposit here.

What is Chargeback Protection?

With Chargeback Protection, you are protected against fraudulent disputes. Our superior fraud detection eliminates Chargebacks entirely. We’re so confident in the models that we cover 100% of fraudulent chargebacks.

What OTA Channels do you support?

We can support any OTA such as Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda, cTrip, VRBO/Homeaway, direct bookings etc.

What is Guest Portal & Guidebook?

It is a guest area where they can see their Check-in Instruction, WiFi, Payment Receipts, Purchase Add-on Services, Chat & access digital Guidebook.

What is Upsell? How can I use it?

You can enable the Upsell feature and be able to offer your guests additional services like room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, breakfast, tours & activities and customize your own upsell through the ChargeAutomation platform. You will find more information here.

What is Online Check-in?

It is a FREE online tool to collect guest pre-arrival information such as ID/Passport, E-signature, Credit card scan, Selfie, Email address, Phone number and you can add your own question.

What is Payment Automation? How does it work?

We know taking payments is pain. Especially if you have to take full or partial split payments for Reservation amount, Deposits, Outstanding balance, Cancellation fee, tourist tax etc. We automated all your collection needs based on a set of rules you crate. If payment fails, card is marked invalid automatically and payment link sent to the customer to securely complete payment.

How do I issue refunds?
Our platform allows you to issue full or partial refunds if necessary.

How do I deal with a failed payment?
When a payment fails, a guest will receive an email requesting payment information to be updated. If the information is not updated in 24 hours, the booking may be cancelled.

For damage deposit, how long do you hold the card for?

For stripe users, we can do up to 28 days for Visa and 30 days hold for Amex/Mastercard/Discover credit cards.

The customer cancels, and I send him a full refund. Do I have to pay ChargeAutomation anything?

Refund transactions are FREE. We only bill successful transactions of charges and authorizations.

How long will I be able to charge a guest card after their stay?

The card will be securely stored in your payment provider vault and will be available for charging at anytime.

If I have listings from channels not listed on the integration list, how can I process the bookings from them?

You can use the Payment and Authorization requests and send the link.

I only use Booking.com and does not want to use a PMS, can I still process and receive bookings?

Yes. You can send Payment and/or Authorization request link to your guest or use our standalone solution

How do we resend an Authentication message reminder to guest who has not received the message?

You can resend it manually or copy the link and share it via sms/email etc.

How do I split payments for a booking?

You can customize your setting when and how much to collect first and second payment.

Is it possible to send an authorization link for a damage deposit to a mobile number instead of an email?

Yes. You can create and copy the authorization link and send to a mobile number.

Is the authorization link just for one-time use?

Yes. The authorization link is one time for a specific customer. You can also create a re-usable payment page that you only create once and share it with anyone as needed

How long is the customer credit card available for charging?

Customer card is stored in your payment provider system and available for charging anytime.

How much does this cost?
Use ChargeAutomation for FREE or upgrade to one of our powerful professional plans. Choose the right ChargeAutomation for your business, no matter how small or large. View pricing details here.

For payment automation, are fees directly deducted from the transaction?

No. We bill you at the end of the month based on your transaction volume. Fees are separately paid by you.

What kind of phone number does the SMS comes from when it sends to guests?

ChargeAutomation has a few different generic numbers, and we use the best one for deliverability based on the guest's location.

What is the fee for connecting to Siteminder PMS?

The fee is $15 per month.

What happens at the end of my trial?

At the end of your 14-day trial, you'll be automatically downgraded to the free plan. If you are taking payments or authorization, you will receive a usage-based monthly bill at the end of every month.

How secure is it?
We are PCI Compliant and all data is encrypted and transferred securely and we do not store credit card data. We are also GDPR compliant and you are in control of your data at all time.

Charge Automation is a guest experience software that helps hotels & vacation rentals increase revenue, eliminate check-in queues, improve guest satisfaction, and maximize profits.