Payments and refunds

Everything a booking costs and everything paid for it is on the booking's Billing tab. The Financial summary shows the accommodation, extra sales, city tax, what is Paid and the Balance due.

Guests who book in the booking engine pay at arrival, so you record their payment here too.

Before your first payment

Payments go to an account, for example "Cash" or "Card terminal". Create your accounts in financial settings.

Take a payment

  1. Open the booking and click Take payment. It is also in the booking's right-click menu in the calendar, and in the check-in and check-out steps.
  2. Choose What is this payment for?:
    • Full balance: everything still to pay.
    • Accommodation: pick the rooms or beds the payment covers.
    • Extra sales: settles the unpaid extras.
    • City tax: marks the city tax as paid.
  3. Check the Amount. Use booking total fills in the whole amount. You can type less for a deposit.
  4. Pick the Account and add an optional Note.
  5. Optionally tick Generate invoice upon payment. See Invoices.
  6. Save.

Payment in another currency

A guest can pay in another currency than the booking's. Pick the currency in the payment form and Areca converts the amount at the rate set in financial settings. The booking keeps its own currency.

Edit or delete a payment

On the Billing tab, open the payment's menu and choose Edit payment or delete it. A payment that is on an invoice cannot be deleted. Void the invoice first.

Give a refund

When the guest paid too much, the booking shows Overpaid and Give refund. To return a specific payment, open its menu on the Billing tab and choose Give refund. A refund gives back the amount as it was originally paid.

City tax

City tax is added to bookings on its own, following the rules in financial settings.

To add it by hand, click Add city tax on the Billing tab. Areca suggests the amount from your rules, and you can change it. Removing city tax that is already paid refunds that payment.

Accounts page

Accounts in the menu lists every payment, refund and other transaction, with Income, Expenses and the Net balance for the selected dates. Filter by account, category, direction or who created it.

To record money that is not tied to a booking, for example buying cleaning supplies, click New transaction.

Reports

The Payments & balances report shows what is settled, part paid and unpaid across stays.