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Home > Execu/Suite Hotel PMS > Procedures Execu/Suite PMS > Front Desk Operations > Posting Charges & Payments

Posting Charges & Payments

This document covers several topics related to posting in Execu/Suite Hotel management software.


Payments
Advance Deposits/Reservations
Group/Event Deposits
Credit card preauthorization at check-in
Payment posted at check-in
Payment to Admin/Misc. master folios
Payment at check-out
Refunds

Charges
Room and tax charges
Packages
Incidental charges (manually posted)
Auto-post charges
Automatic charges (POS, guest phone usage, etc.)
No-Show and Cancellation fees

Voids and Adjustments
Adjustments before check-out
Adjustments after check-out (same day)
Adjustments after check-out (later date)
Voids
Transfers

Payments

The following topics are covered under Payments:
Advance Deposits/Reservations
Group/Event Deposits
Credit card preauthorization at check-in
Payment posted at check-in
Payment to Admin/Misc. master folios
Payment at check-out
                       

 Advance Deposits/Reservations

Guest advance deposits are posted to the guest reservations.  After you save the reservation, click the "Deposit" button at the bottom of the screen to take you to the Enter Advance Deposit screen.  You also can access this screen from Reservations Menu > Enter Advance Deposits. 

See also
Advance Deposits for the user guide and
CC Adv. Dep Refund Video for a video walkthrough.
 
 Group/Event Deposits

Group deposits are posted to the group master folios unless the group's individual guests will pay for their own reservations.  If you click "Create master folio automatically" when setting up the group, when you save the group a  prompt will ask, "Post deposit now to this master folio?"  Answering Yes will take you to the Post screen.  Otherwise you may post the deposit to the master folio any time you wish by going to Post Folio.  Event deposits may be posted to the master folio before or setting up the Event or you may click "Post deposit" from the Event setup screen to take you to the Post screen.

Remember to check out (close) the master folio after the group has departed or the event is over and all payments have been received and all charges posted.

See also
Groups
Event Setup.
 
 Credit card preauthorizations at check-in

At check-in, you will NOT post a payment and preauthorize a credit card.  You MUST do one or the other but not both.  However, if you answer "Y" to "Split folio?" at check-in, you may post a payment to one of the folios and preauthorize a credit card to the other folio.  An instance of when this might occur is if a virtual wholesaler pays for the room and tax charges and you must post it at check-in as a payment, you may authorize the guest's credit card in the secondary folio to cover incidentals.  

See also
Common Questions
Common Mistakes
Check In
Check-In CC Preauth Video
 
 Payment posted at check-in

As noted in the previous section, you will NOT post a payment and preauthorize a credit card at check-in.  You MUST do one or the other but not both.  However, if you answer "Y" to "Split folio?" at check-in, you may post a payment to one of the folios and preauthorize a credit card to the other folio.  An instance of when this might occur is if a virtual wholesaler pays for the room and tax charges and you must post it at check-in as a payment, you may authorize the guest's credit card in the secondary folio to cover incidentals.  

If it is your policy to receive payment at check-in you should answer "Y" to the field "Ask 'Post payment' at check-in" in the Parameter Record.  This will cause a prompt automatically to pop up at check-in asking "Post payment now?".   If you do not want this automatic prompt, you will have to go to "Post Folio" after you have completed the check-in.  If you post payment only for cash guests, enter "C" in the field "Ask 'Post payment' at check-in" in the Parameter Record.

If you answer "Yes" to "Post payment now?'  the Post Folio screen will automatically open and you may post the payment. The amount of room and tax (or one night's stay, depending on your Parameter Record setting for "Payment to calculate at check-in") will display as the default amount to post.  You may change the amount or press Enter in the payment screen to post the amount displayed.

Depending on your property's policies, you may with to collect an additional amount for incidentals.

To post a credit card payment (if you are using Shift4 or ElementPS to process credit cards) type "/" in the "code" field or enter a valid payment code.  At the prompt, swipe the guest's credit card.   Do not type anything in the "Reference" or "Ticket" field when posting credit card transactions.
Posting a payment at check-in will give the folio a credit balance.  Charges will post as debits, reducing the credit amount.  At check-out, if the guest has a credit balance the guest will be due a refund.  If the guest has a debit balance at check-out the guest owes payment.

See also
Parameter Record
Payment Codes
Check In
Credit Card Procedures
 
 
 Payment to Admin/Misc. master folios

Payments to a master folio are posted in Post Folio (or Post Charges and Payments).  Instead of a room number you will select "Enter folio number" and then enter that folio's number at the prompt.  You also may look up folios by name.

Most properties zero out admin/Misc. master folios weekly or monthly.  This makes the folios more manageable and aids in proper accounting.  You may enter a payment to zero the folio or enter a credit charge (by typing a minus sign with the amount).  In some instances properties close admin/misc. master folios periodically and open new ones, again to keep them manageable.  This may be done monthly or annually depending on the amount of transactions in the folio.

Certain folios should have a zero balance at all time.  For example, if you have a "cash" folio which is used for cash sales, both a charge and payment should be posted with each sale.  If you sell a post card for $2.00 and tax posts at $.12, you should post the charge first (so that tax will post automatically and you will know how much money to receive) and then post the payment.  When you are finished with this sale, the folio balance will be zero.

When you are finished posting, after the OK? prompt, your cursor will return to the "code" field.   You may enter additional transactions or you may press Esc on your keyboard or click Exit at the top left of the Post Charges/Payments screen.  This will take you back to the guest selection screen where you may select another guest or press Esc or click Cancel to escape.

The night auditor should keep an eye on Admin/Misc. folios.

If you have Execu/Gift® for gift card or gift certificate sales, this folio will balance to zero automatically after each gift card is sold.

Do not type anything in the "Reference" or "Ticket" field when posting credit card transactions.

See also
Group/Event Deposits
Master Folios
 
 Payment at check-out
To post a payment at check-out, do not go to Post Folio.  Go to Check-out.  This is the proper procedure.  If the folio has a balance, the system will take you automatically to the Post Folio screen.  This method is correct and speedy.  

The payment code assigned at check-in will default as the payment code at check-out.               

Payment is posted at check-out for guests whose credit cards were preauthorized.  The amount due (folio balance) will automatically post against the preauthorized amount, releasing funds exceeding the amount due.  (Note that the release is not immediate; it depends on batch closing and merchant services policies.)  If the amount due exceeds the preauthorized amount a message will notify you.  The auditor should be tracking folio balances and credit limits so that preauthorization of additional funds can be done prior to check-out, making the check-out process smoother and faster.

If a credit card has been preauthorized you will see a sequence number and approval code on the Post Folio screen.  If you do not see this information there is no preauthorization.  To use the authorized card, simply press Enter at the Payment Code field.

So split tender, process the authorized card first for the amount to post to that card.  Then enter the payment information for the remaining amount due.

If the guest wishes to use a different payment method, you must select "Void pre-auth" first.  Once the preauthorization has been voided you may process the transaction.

For Direct Bill guests the payment code will be DB.  If the account code was entered at check-in, that will default.  Otherwise, enter the valid direct bill (city ledger) account code or select from look-up.

If you make an error, answer "N" at the "OK?" prompt and start over.

When the folio balance is zero, the check-out will continue. 

Note that credit card authorizations clear at check-out.  You should make sure everything has been posted prior to check-out.  If you reverse the check-out the preauthorization will no longer be valid.  you will have to use "card on file" and enter the sequence number.

Do not type anything in the "Reference" or "Ticket" field when posting credit card transactions.

See also
Check Out
Check Out w/ Credit Card-Video
Credit Card Procedures
Adjustments after check-out
Refunds

 Refunds

Refunds of payments are posted like the payments except you type a minus sign ("-") before the amount, such as -125.
You will need also to post a charge to offset the payment, also typing a minus sign before the amount.  You should post the charge credit first, and then the payment refund.  That way, both figures will come out right, especially when tax posts to the charge.
Here is an example of posting a refund where the guest was overcharged $10 for room charge, plus $1 tax posted.
  • Post the RC credit:  -10.00
  • The tax will post automatically: -1.00
  • This leaves a balance of -11.00
  • Post the payment credit (refund) for -11.00
If you are refunding a credit card, you will use the "card on file".  
You may use any code you wish for the credit to the charge code.  The objective is to account the revenue properly.  That is why you would use the actual charge code applicable to the overpayment.  However, you may use any code you wish. 
The folio should have a zero balance at checkout.  If you are posting a refund because the guest overpaid an advance deposit, you do not need to post a charge code.  Simply post the credit payment (refund) necessary to zero out the folio.


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Charges

The following topics are covered under Charges:
Room and tax charges
Packages
Incidental charges (manually posted)
Auto-post charges
Automatic charges (POS, guest phone usage, etc.)
No-Show and Cancellation fees
          

 Room and tax charges

Room and tax charges post automatically when "Post Room and Tax" is run from the night audit menu.  You also may post them manually.  If the "tax code" field is populated in the RC* charge code setup, the taxes will post automatically when you post an RC* charge code.  Otherwise you must post the taxes manually.  If the taxes post automatically, you will see a notification that tax posted also. 

The default charge code for Room Charge is RC and all codes for Room Charge must begin with RC.  You can assign specific charge codes to specific rooms.  For example, you might have a hotel and cabins.  You could use RCH and RCC to track them separately.  Or if you have a marina and rent slips you might have RCM.  Taxes may apply differently depending on set up.  For example, state tax might apply to lodging and dockage but bed tax may not apply to dockage.  All taxes applied to RC* room charges must begin with RT such as RT1 or RTM.

When posting RC or RC* manually you will see a message, "Post room and tax charges again for this guest tonight?" and your answer determines whether or not room & tax charges will post for that guest when you run "Post Room and Tax" at night audit.

Here is an example of when to answer "yes" to "Post room and tax charges again for this guest tonight?"  If a guest checked in after Post Room and Tax was run but you still want to charge the guest for the night, you will post the charges manually.  Since you also want to charge the guest for the following night you answer "Yes" to "Post room and tax charges again for this guest tonight?"

Here is an example of when to answer "No" to "Post room and tax charges again for this guest tonight?"  If the guest wants to settle his account (folio) but you do not want to check him out until tomorrow and you have not run "Post Room and Tax" you will post the room charges manually so that you can collect the correct amount from the guest for his stay.   This is uncommon but sometimes occurs with cash guests wanting to depart without checking out the following day.

See also
Charge Codes
Tax Codes
Rooms
Night Audit Procedures
 
 Packages

Package charges post at night audit when "Post Room and Tax" is run.  All charges included in the package will post.  Some packages post first night only.  Some post incidentals the first night and room and tax charges nightly.  This is determined by the package setup.  Packages can be posted manually although this is not recommended.  To post package charges manually, go to Post Folio.  In the "code" field type "K" and press Enter.  This will prompt you for the package code followed by the number of nights to post.  If you select 3 nights for example, it will multiply each charge by three and post once.  a $100 room will post $300 RC for three nights and so on.

Posting packages manually is handy if you have guests staying past the package days and the package does not include room charges.  Example: you have a 2-night package that includes food, beverage and greens fees, and the guest wants to stay three extra days, you can check the guest in with Rate Code 2 (or whatever the code should be for the guest) instead of Rate Code P which is standard for packages.  Then manually post the package in Post Folio using K in the "code" field.  For number of nights type 2.  The package charges will post the dollar amount for the two days.  When you run Post Room and Tax at night audit, for those two nights nothing will post.  The Post Room & Tax report will read "ROOM CHARGE ALREADY POSTED TODAY".  On the third night, room charge will post at the rate for the code you entered in the Rate Code field.
                       
See also
Guest Packages

 
 Incidental charges (manually posted)

Incidental charges are defined as any charges that are not room charges (RC*) or room charge taxes (RT*).  Some incidental charges are posted automatically such as restaurant checks charged to a guest room or master folio rather than closed to cash or payment.   Other incidental charges are posted directly to the guest or master folio. 

For guests with split folios, incidental charges post to the secondary folio.  From there you may transfer the charges to the primary folio or to another guest or master folio.  Master folios are never split and do not have secondary folios.

To post a charge, click the Post Folio icon (or Enter Charges and Payment from the Front Desk Operations menu).  Enter the room number or folio number or select the guest from the lookup.  Your cursor will be at the "code" field.  Type the charge code or click the code from the list in turquoise.  Enter the other information as prompted.

If you are posting to a "cash" master folio used for non-guest transactions, you should post a payment when you post a charge.  The folio should have a zero balance when you are finished.  For example, if you sell a post card, you will post the charge for the sale and then you will post a payment for the money received.

When you are finished posting, after the OK? prompt, your cursor will return to the "code" field.   You may enter additional transactions or you may press Esc on your keyboard or click Exit at the top left of the Post Charges/Payments screen.  This will take you back to the guest selection screen where you may select another guest or press Esc or click Cancel to escape.

See also
Automatic charges (POS, guest phone usage, etc.)
Parameter Record
Charge Codes
Night Audit Procedures
 
 Auto-post charges
Auto-post charges are incidental charges that post automatically during "Post room and tax" at night audit.  These do not include room charges (RC*), room charge taxes (RT*), or package charges.  Example of auto-post charges are parking fees and pet fees.  Auto-post charges can have a clickable yes/no setting or can prompt for quantity.  They can be set up to post the first night only or nightly.  You may have multiple auto-post charges.

When a guest is checked in, an auto-post window will open when the check-in is completed and saved.  The user may click the charge to apply to the guest or unclick the charge not to apply it to the guest.  The default (apply or not apply) is defined in the charge code setup.  If the charge was set up to prompt for quantity, the user may select a quantity from a dropdown.

You do not need to post auto-post charges manually unless making an adjustment or the auto-post was not selected at check-in.

See also
Charge Codes
Night Audit Procedures
Adjustments
 
 Automatic charges (POS, guest phone usage, etc.)

Charges posting automatically include restaurant charges, retail charges, guest in-room phone charges, etc.  These transactions are generated either from Execu/Touch® Point of Sale or from an interface to a third-party system or device such as call accounting or a movie interface.

You do not need to post automatic charges manually unless the interface is down, a network issue caused the POS charges not to post, etc.

If you are manually posting POS charges, you can print the POS check or a check detail report to determine what did not post.  It is possible that post of the check posted and part did not.  You will see the POS check number in the REF column when displaying the POS master folio for that outlet.  If you click that ticket number the check will display.  then you can determine whether you need to post all charges or just what is missing.  Typically a food & beverage POS check will contain sales such as food or beverage, taxes, tip, and payment.  The folio balance after each check's transaction have posted will be zero.  You will make these postings in the appropriate POS master folio as defined in the HOTEL settings in POS Administrator for that outlet.

If a POs check closed to a ROOM CHARGE or FOLIO charge (posting to a guest or master folio) but the charge does not show up in the guest folio, you will post the charge manually into the GUGEST folio.  If it shows up in the guest folio but not in the POS master, you will post to the master folio.  The charge code to use will be defined in the HOTEL settings in POS Administrator for that outlet. 

Typically, charge codes for automatic charges do not display in the Post Folio (Post Charges/Payments) screen.  You will need to know the codes prior to posting.

See also
Charge Codes
Night Audit Procedures
Night Audit Reports
Store Record
Supervisor

 
 No-Show and Cancellation Fees

No-show and Cancellation fees should be done within the reservation in order properly to track the cancellations and no-shows.  Some properties check the guests in and post the charges to the folio, but when this is done the history for the guest will show this as a stay rather than an no-show or cancellations.  It also may skew the occupancy for the day.

For instructions on properly posting cancellations and no-show fees, click here:  Cancellations and No-Shows.

 
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Adjustments and Voids and Transfers

The following topics are covered under Adjustments and Voids and Transfers:
Adjustments before check-out
Adjustments after check-out (same day)
Adjustments after check-out (later date)
Voids
Transfers
          

 Adjustments before check-out

Transactions posted to an in-house guest or master folio may be adjusted in the Post Charges/Payments screen.  There are two ways to post adjustments.
  • First method:  Enter the transaction code and then enter a minus sign with the dollar amount in the "amount" field.  This will not show up as an adjustment in the folio and it will print on the charge or payment journal rather than on the adjustment journal. 

  • Second method:  Do not enter a transaction code.  Click the "Adjustment" button and then enter the transaction code in the "Adj. Code" field.  Note:  To adjust a PAYMENT you should enter a minus sign with the dollar amount.  To adjust a CHARGE you should not enter a minus sign.  We suggest that you practice in a dummy or training folio before adjusting a "live" guest folio.

You may click the "Display" button to view the folio detail.  If not, press Esc on your keyboard or click the Exit button to exit.

Adjustments print on guest folios.  Voids do not.

Note that voids and adjustments are allowed or disallowed per user based on security levels assigned to each User ID.

If your system requires a password, consult your GM or Operations Manager.  Execu/Tech does not provide passwords.
 
 Adjustments after check-out (same day)

You may post adjustments to transactions posted to folios checked out today (if Reorganize Files has not been run).  On the check-out screen select "reverse check-out" and enter the guest's room number at the prompt.  Then go to Post Folio to post the adjustment, following the procedures under "Adjustments before check-out".  Make sure that the folio has a zero balance when you are finished.  Then check the folio out again.

NOTE:  If the folio was originally checked out using a credit card, note that the credit card preauthorization is no longer active.  You will have to use the sequence number of the most recent credit card transaction displayed in the folio.  When using a sequence number BE SURE to enter the correct sequence number; otherwise you will process someone else's card.

See also
Adjustments before check-out
Check Out
Check Out w/ Credit Card-Video
Common Mistakes
 
 Adjustments after check-out (later date)

You cannot post transactions to folios checked out on a prior day (or current day if Reorganize Files has been run and the folio is now in Guest History).  You must check in a new folio, either as a guest folio into a room or as a master folio.  At that point you can post  the adjustments to the new folio.  Make sure the folio has a zero balance when you are finished and then check out the folio. 

If you need to process a credit card for a checked-out guest you must use a sequence number.  When using a sequence number BE SURE to enter the correct sequence number; otherwise you will process someone else's card.

See also
Adjustments before check-out
Credit Card Procedures
Check Out w/ Credit Card-Video
Common Mistakes
 
 Voids

You may void a current-day transaction but you cannot void a prior-day void unless this is overridden in the Parameter Record.  Voiding a prior-day transaction will make you out of balance today.  You should adjust a prior-day transaction.

To void a transaction go to the Post Charges/Payments screen and click the Void button.  Then enter the code of the item at the "Enter charge/payment to void" prompt.  You can click OK or press Enter to view all transactions.  Select the item and answer "yes" at the verification prompt.  You may then select another item to void.  You may void only one item at a time.  When you are finished click "cancel" on the "Enter charge/payment to void" prompt to take you back to the Enter Charges/Payments screen.  You may click the "Display" button to view the folio detail.  If not, press Esc on your keyboard or click the Exit button to exit.

Adjustments print on guest folios.  Voids do not.

Note that voids and adjustments are allowed or disallowed per user based on security levels assigned to each User ID.

If your system requires a password, consult your GM or Operations Manager.  Execu/Tech does not provide passwords.

Voids
 
Transfers
                       
You may transfer charges and payments from one guest (or master) folio to another.  Go to Post Folio and enter the room number or folio number to transfer FROM.  On the Post Charges/Payments screen click the "Transfer" button
 

           

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 While this page is under construction you might like to view the following tutorials:

Posting a payment or charge
Voiding a payment or charge
Transferring transactions to another folio
Related Files
none..

Related Pages
Payment Codes
Check In
Credit Card Procedures
Check-In CC Preauth Video
Check Out w/ Credit Card-Video
Check Out
Advance Deposits
Credit Card Video-Res
CC Adv. Dep Refund Video
Cancellations and No-Shows





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