What Is the Real Cost of Manual Payment Management? Introducing Rentlio Pay for Hoteliers
Successful hotel operations are not measured only by occupancy, but by operational accuracy. In many properties, payments remain the weakest link. While guests expect smooth service, front desk teams often lose time on tasks prone to human error, from writing down 16 digit card numbers to manually entering amounts into POS terminals during peak hours.
Each of these moments carries a risk of financial loss that is often discovered too late to fix.
In this article, we look at how Rentlio Pay removes these weak points. We cover real situations hotel teams face every day and explain how integrating financial processes directly into the PMS resolves operational issues across sales, front desk, and accounting.
You will see how automated charging and cancellation rules protect revenue, how to remove payment errors at terminals, and how modern payment methods like digital wallets directly support growth in direct bookings.
Automatic Payments: Securing Revenue Without Manual Due Date Tracking
In a fast paced sales environment, manually tracking cancellation rules for each reservation creates a major operational risk.
Hotels often face situations where staff, due to workload or shift changes, miss charging a reservation that has entered a non refundable period. The result is direct revenue loss that is almost impossible to recover once a guest cancels or does not show up.
Rentlio Pay solves this by turning your cancellation rules into automated PMS processes:
- Automatic transaction processing - The system tracks each reservation and charges the card exactly when due, for example 48 hours before arrival. Front desk teams do not need to manually trigger payments or check due date calendars.
- Immediate fiscalization and documentation - Once a payment is successful, a prepayment invoice is created and fiscalized automatically. This removes manual accounting work and keeps every document linked to the correct reservation.
- Real time payment status - If a transaction fails due to insufficient funds or an invalid card, the system alerts you immediately. This allows timely guest contact or release of the room for resale.
By automating this part of the workflow, revenue no longer depends on manual follow up. Funds are collected according to defined rules, with no administrative overhead.
Next, we move to one of the most common front desk pain points, manual POS handling.
Send to POS: Ending Typing Errors and Shift Change Stress
Manually entering amounts into a POS terminal while a guest waits at the front desk is one of the most sensitive moments in hotel operations. A single digit mistake under pressure is enough to create a problem.
For example, entering EUR 1,150 instead of EUR 1,250. Time is lost, the situation looks unprofessional, and the error is often discovered only at the end of the day when the guest has already left. Even worse is charging more than intended.
Send to POS removes this risk by directly connecting Rentlio PMS with your POS terminal:
- One click amount transfer - Front desk staff send the exact amount from the PMS to the POS terminal. The terminal activates with the correct value, ready for card payment.
- Real time revenue alignment - Because terminal and PMS values always match, end of shift discrepancies disappear. Handover becomes quick and stress free.
- Faster check out - Removing manual entry shortens front desk time, directly improving guest experience at departure.
With Send to POS, payment collection becomes the most reliable part of the front desk workflow.
Pay by Link: Professional Direct Sales With Maximum Security
Direct bookings by phone or email often involve overlooked security risks. Asking for card details by phone or email is not only unprofessional but risky. One Croatian hotel was fined EUR 15,000 for requesting CVC codes. This is not a situation any hotel wants.
Guests are careful with sensitive data, and insecure payment processes often push them back to OTA channels.
Pay by Link within Rentlio Pay turns every offer into a secure transaction:
- Secure by design - Instead of handling card details, your team sends a personalized payment link. Guests enter card data in a protected environment, keeping your operation compliant with payment security standards.
- Booking Engine integration - Pay by Link works as an extension of your Rentlio Booking Engine. Payments are recorded automatically, availability is updated, and booking confirmations are generated.
- Faster booking confirmation - No waiting for bank statements or manual checks. Successful payments are confirmed instantly, allowing you to close the sale and block availability right away.
This approach protects guest data and improves your property image. A secure and simple payment process directly supports higher direct booking volume.
VCC Charging: Handling Agency Bookings Inside the PMS
Charging virtual cards from channels like Booking.com or Expedia is often the slowest administrative task. Each booking requires logging into external extranets and manual processing.
Rentlio Pay removes the need for external systems:
- One click charging - Process virtual cards directly inside Rentlio, without logging into extranets.
- Faster administration - What used to take minutes now takes seconds, which matters during high arrival or departure volumes.
- Centralized overview - All OTA payment data is stored in one place, linked to the reservation in the PMS.
Administrative work is reduced, and your team can focus on guests instead of OTA interfaces.
Apple Pay and Google Pay: One Tap to Booking Confirmation
Guest behavior has changed. Travel planning now happens mostly on mobile devices. If mobile payment requires manual card entry, many guests abandon the booking at the final step.
By integrating digital wallets into the Rentlio Booking Engine, payment friction is removed:
- Fast transactions - Guests pay with one tap using Face ID or fingerprint authentication.
- Higher conversion rates - Fewer steps mean fewer abandoned mobile bookings.
- Modern guest experience - Apple Pay and Google Pay signal that your property meets current technology expectations.
These payment methods are no longer optional for hotels that want to grow direct bookings.
Tap on Mobile: The Future of Payments Without Fixed Devices (coming soon)
Mobility is becoming a standard part of hotel service. Rentlio Pay is developing Tap on Mobile technology that allows any smartphone with the Rentlio app to act as a POS terminal.
- Full flexibility - Process payments anywhere in the property, from the pool to the guest room, without carrying separate devices.
- Contactless payments - Guests tap their card or phone directly on your smartphone to complete the transaction.
- Lower hardware costs - Less reliance on rented or maintained POS equipment.
Soon, your mobile device will be all you need to collect payments securely for any additional service.
The Operational Standard of Modern Hospitality
Integrating automated payments directly into your PMS is not just a technical upgrade. It is a strategic decision that changes how your hotel operates. Rentlio Pay removes long standing bottlenecks at the front desk and in accounting. Data is unified and manual dependency is removed.
With everything in one system, you gain:
- Financial security - Payments are collected automatically based on your rules, with no missed due dates.
- Complete accuracy - Removing manual terminal entry eliminates shift handover stress and error corrections.
- Stronger sales performance - Modern payment options and secure links increase guest trust and website bookings.
- Accounting accuracy - Automatic fiscalization and reservation level linking remove hours of manual reconciliation.
The real question is not whether payments can still be handled manually, but what that time and risk actually cost your business. Rentlio Pay is built to remove that cost and allow your team to focus on what matters most, guest service and experience.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Rentlio Pay?
Rentlio Pay is an integrated payment processing solution connected directly to Rentlio PMS. It automates payments based on reservation rules, syncs amounts, and fiscalizes invoices automatically in one system.
How does the system know when to charge a reservation?
The system follows the cancellation rules set in Rentlio. If a policy requires charging at booking or after free cancellation expires, Rentlio Pay initiates the transaction automatically.
What happens if a card charge fails?
If a transaction fails, for example due to insufficient funds or an invalid card, the system notifies you immediately so you can contact the guest or release the room.
Is Pay by Link secure for guests and hotels?
Yes. Guests enter card details in a protected interface. Staff never handle sensitive data. The process complies with PCI DSS standards.
Can I charge additional hotel services with Rentlio Pay?
Yes. You can charge extras such as bar services, excursions, or late check out using Pay by Link or Send to POS, all linked automatically to the guest account.
How does Rentlio Pay support accounting teams?
Accounting no longer needs to manually match bank statements with reservations. Every payment is recorded with the correct document and reservation, and fiscalization happens instantly after payment.
Daniel Herman is a growth marketing enthusiast with 10 years of marketing experience who enjoys thinking strategically and seeing the bigger picture. He writes about everything related to developing marketing activities and KPIs, branding, and taking a long-term approach to success, always with the goal of sharing useful ideas and inspiring action.
