Hotel bookings go through several stages. First, the customer selects the hotel. Then they book the rooms they want, along with the number of people and the duration of stay. They then make the payments for the rooms. The hotel payment processing is the last and the most important step in the hotel booking process. It is when the customer finally makes the payment.
Any glitch or inconvenience in the hotel payment processing can really frustrate the customers because it is that exact moment when they are finally completing their process. Many times, why might just give up and move on to another hotel.
We have listed a few ways by which you can improve the payment processing experience for the guests! This will make payments seamless for the guests and ensure that you get your payments smoothly.
Use Card Based Payments
Many hotels still collect cash payments due to concerns over safety and credit card fraud. However, credit cards, debit cards and net baking are more convenient and quicker ways to process hotel payments compared to carrying and counting cash.
Nowadays, payment infrastructure and become secure. The guests need to submit the OTPs or One Time Passwords to process their payments. If the payment is at the hotel, credit and debit cards require a PIN to enable the transaction. There will be risks involved. But in terms of speed and convenience, Card based and Net-Based payments win over cash.
Accept Online Based Payments
Many properties still exclusively use on the spot payment processing. This can be disadvantageous for the hotels as the guest does not need to pay anything even if they cancel a day prior to the check-in, resulting in revenue loss. It can also increase the time of hotel payment processing.
Hotels should integrate a booking engine on their hotel website. They should make use of OTAs as well which accept advanced payments. The Booking Engine then needs to be integrated with payment getaways that accept card, net banking and UPI - based payments.
QR Code Based Payments - The New Thing
QR Code-Based Payments are increasing in popularity. Many payment apps such as Google Pay, Amazon Pay, PhonePe and BHIM App are using OR Code system to make payment processing even smoother. Hotel payments can also be done using QR Code based system to make it seamless for the guests. The main advantage is that it is contactless.
However, QR Code based payments can only work at places which have an internet connection. In places where the internet connection is not strong, QR Code Payment System is not that effective.
POS Terminals Should Be Scattered Across The Hotel
Hotels which have a single POS or Point of Sale Terminal will face difficulties in managing all the payments for available different services of the hotel. That’s why having multiple POS Terminals at multiple outlets is essential.
For example, if you have a restaurant at the hotel, you can have a POS Terminal established there. Similarly, you can establish POS Terminals for Spa, Bar, and other exclusive amenities. The hotels will be able to track all the payments at the outlets individually and will also help at faster checkout.
Streamline The Refund Process
The guests may face difficulties in getting refunds due to various hitch ups - such as the bank’s transactional timings, OTAs refund policy, some issues on the User’s side etc. Many guests are hesitant in getting a refund because the process can be tedious. One of the things you can do the help the customer is by simplifying the refund process.
Use Paperless Billing
Paper bills not only put stress on the environment but it is also difficult to keep track of piles of paper bills. Using paperless billing will make things easier. You can just send a pdf via Email or Whatsapp. The guest can check the bill and make payments accordingly.
By following these steps, you can make hotel payment processing a breeze. Payments may be the last, but it's not the least in the hotel booking process. By using card payments, online payments and QR Code based payments, you can relieve the hotels and the guests from many hassles.
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