Need to charge a guest manually, without waiting for an automated payment schedule?
You can use ChargeAutomation like a virtual terminal to securely enter a guest's card details and process a payment directly from your ChargeAutomation account.
This is especially useful when you need to:
💳 Collect a payment immediately
💰 Charge an additional amount
🧾 Collect a balance or extra fee
🏠 Take payment for an existing booking
🔐 Authorize a card without charging it immediately
📩 Send the guest a secure payment link instead of entering their card details yourself
💡 Before you start: Make sure your payment gateway is connected and active in ChargeAutomation.
🚀 Option 1: Charge a Guest Immediately
If you have the guest's card details and want to process the payment yourself, you can use a Payment Link.
1️⃣ Create Payment Link
From your ChargeAutomation dashboard, go to:
Payment Link → Create
ChargeAutomation will ask whether the payment is associated with an existing booking.
2️⃣ Select the Booking
If the payment is for an existing reservation: Select "Yes, it is"
Search for the booking using the guest's:
👤 Guest Name
🔢 Booking ID
📩 Email address
🧾 Confirmation code
Select the correct reservation.
💡 Linking the payment to the existing booking keeps the charge associated with the reservation and allows it to appear under the booking's Payments → Additional Charges.
3️⃣ Enter the Charge Details 💰
Amount — the amount you want to charge
Description — a short explanation of the charge
You can also:
📅 Schedule the charge for a future date
🛡️ Enable Chargeback Protection, where available
Double-check the amount and currency before processing the payment.
4️⃣ Select "Charge Now" ⚡
5️⃣ Enter the Guest's Card Details 💳
Enter the guest's card information in the payment window.
Then click: Charge Now
ChargeAutomation will attempt to process the payment through your connected payment gateway.
📩 Option 2: Send the Guest a Payment Link
You don't have to manually enter the guest's card details.
Instead, you can create a secure payment request and let the guest enter their own card information.
Go to Payment Link → Create
Select the relevant booking, if applicable.
Enter the amount, payment link expiry and description.
Select Send Payment Link.
Send the generated link to the guest.
The guest opens the link and enters their card details to complete the payment.
📅 Option 3: Send the Guest a Scheduled Charge
Automatically charge the guest on a future date and time. If the guest has a card on file, it will be charged automatically when the scheduled payment is due. If no card is on file, the guest will be prompted to add their card details before the payment can be processed.
