Folios and payments

Every booking has one bill, also called a folio. You see it in the Money section of the booking panel. It lists every charge and payment, then the Total, what is Paid and the Balance due (or To refund if the guest has paid too much).

What goes on the billCopy Anchor Link

Adding a chargeCopy Anchor Link

1. Open the booking and click Add charge in the Money section.
2. Fill in What for (for example "Laundry"), Price each and How many.
3. Click Add to the bill.

For early check-in and late check-out fees, use Add early check-in fee or Add late check-out fee. See Check-in and check-out.

A cancelled booking takes no new charges.

MinibarCopy Anchor Link

When a housekeeper reports what was taken (101 clean, 2 waters taken), ChatBeds puts it on the bill of the guest in that room, or the guest who left it today or yesterday. It shows as a line like "Minibar: Water bottle x2", at the guest price set in Inventory.

If ChatBeds can't be sure, the item waits for the front desk, and the front desk on duty is told in WhatsApp. This happens when the item isn't on the minibar list, has no guest price, there is no guest to charge, or the quantity is unclear.

• On the dashboard: Finance → Minibar. Charge each item to a booking, or mark it not charged with a reason.
• In WhatsApp: send minibar to see what is waiting.

See Supplies and minibar.

Taking a paymentCopy Anchor Link

Card payment linksCopy Anchor Link

If you have connected your Stripe account, you can send the guest a link to pay by card. Card payments go to your own Stripe account; ChatBeds never sees the card. See Payments to set it up.

• A link stays open for 23 hours, then closes.
• When the guest pays, the payment goes on the bill by itself. Whoever made the link, the front desk manager and the GM are told in WhatsApp.
• A link still open counts as paid when you make the next one, so a guest is never asked to pay the whole bill twice.

Fixing mistakes: voidsCopy Anchor Link

A charge, extra, fee, payment or refund entered by mistake is voided, never deleted.

1. Click Void next to the line.
2. Say Why, for example "Entered twice".
3. Click the void button to confirm.

The line stays on the bill, struck through, with who voided it and why. It stops counting.

• Room nights and tax can't be voided. Change the room price instead (Edit), and tax follows.
• A payment can't be voided while refunds against it remain. Void the refund first.
• Money that really came through Stripe isn't voided. It is refunded.

Giving money back: refundsCopy Anchor Link

1. Click Refund in the Money section.
2. Enter the Amount (at most what has been paid) and choose Given back by.
3. Fill in Why, then click Record the refund.

ChatBeds records the refund; it does not move the money. Hand back the cash or make the transfer yourself. For card link payments, make the refund in your Stripe dashboard and record it here as Stripe (refunded in Stripe).

Who can do whatCopy Anchor Link

See Roles and permissions. For end-of-day checks of unpaid bills, see Night audit.