On January 5th, 2026 we sent an email to our customers that currently have Converge as a payment processor in OwnerRez. Many have written back in our posted on other forums across the internet with questions and concerns. I wanted to take a minute to explain a bit further why the decision has been made to deprecate Converge as a Payment Processor in OwnerRez.
Converge Deprecation Update
Converge has been available as a payment processing option in our platform for many years, and we know that some users have relied on it for a long time. After extensive review, we have decided to deprecate the Converge integration.
What “Deprecated” Means
“Deprecated” does not mean that Converge will immediately stop working or that you are required to switch processors right now.
Instead, “deprecated” is a formal way of saying:
The Converge integration is still available for existing users
You may continue using it for the time being
However, it is being phased out and is no longer part of our fully supported feature set
This also means:
No new users will be able to connect to Converge going forward
We are no longer actively improving or enhancing the Converge integration
Only limited maintenance may occur, typically for critical issues
And most importantly:
Because the integration is deprecated, future issues may not be fixed. There may come a point where technical, security, or platform changes cause the integration to stop working, and we cannot guarantee engineering support or ongoing compatibility for Converge.
So while nothing is breaking today, we want to be transparent that Converge should be considered a legacy option, and users should begin planning a transition to a currently supported payment processor.
Why We Made This Decision
Over time, the Converge platform has not kept pace with modern gateway technology and industry standards. The system receives very few updates, and the infrastructure behind it is aging.
Older processing technology can create stability concerns and may lag behind current security best practices. Since payment processing involves sensitive financial data, we place a high priority on working with vendors who invest in security, innovation, and platform reliability.
Additionally, we have invested a significant amount of time in collaborating directly with the Converge team to resolve bugs and enhance the integration experience. Unfortunately, we have not been able to establish a productive technical partnership. With our supported processors, we maintain active communication channels, share troubleshooting processes, and coordinate product development. That level of collaboration is essential to maintaining a secure and dependable payment solution inside OwnerRez.
Since we cannot guarantee the same level of support or responsiveness with Converge, we do not consider it appropriate to treat it as a fully supported integration going forward.
What This Means for You
If you are currently using Converge:
We want to be transparent so you can make informed decisions for your business.
While you are not required to move away from Converge, we do recommend considering one of our supported payment processors if long-term stability, active development, and guaranteed support responsiveness are important to you.
Why We Often Recommend Lynnbrook as an Alternative
For those considering a switch, Lynnbrook is one of the processors we commonly recommend, and there are several reasons for that.
Like OwnerRez, Lynnbrook is constantly improving and modernizing their platform. They have an experienced engineering team that we work closely with, and the relationship is collaborative and responsive. Their API is one of the most robust we integrate with, which allows us to provide deeper insight and transparency into your financial activity.
For example, with Lynnbrook, you can see not only when a payment was processed, but also when it was actually deposited into your bank account. That makes true reconciliation easier, whether you are using the PM module, QuickBooks, or both. For many users, this level of clarity eliminates much of the guesswork.
Their pricing is competitive, and currently, they have offered to waive some of their fees for users who are migrating from another gateway.
A Note on Payout Timing
There has been some discussion in this post about whether Lynnbrook only pays at the time of guest arrival. Years ago, that was their only option, but that is no longer the case.
Lynnbrook does prefer arrival-based payouts because this model reduces risk for both the processor and the merchant. Many clients also like it because it removes the need to hold advance funds in trust. In that sense, it works similarly to Airbnb, which can simplify both accounting and reporting when you compare channels.
However, Lynnbrook also supports funding at the time of booking. So you are not locked into one approach. If you prefer to receive payment upfront and manage those funds until arrival, you can choose that option instead. The decision is entirely up to you and your business workflow.
Multiple Options
As an existing OwnerRez user, you know we like to provide options for you to pick what works best for your business. Even though we recommended Lynnbrook in the email that went out, if you have a conversation with them and do not feel like they are the right fit for your business. There are many other processors and Gateways to choose from. Most PMS's give you 1 or 2 options at most. We provide many. See the full list here: https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/payment-processing-gateways-list
A Final Note & How We Can Help
We know that payment processing is central to your business, and we don’t make changes like this lightly. Several users have shared that Converge has worked smoothly for them for many years, and in many cases that’s true. A lot of that stability has come from considerable behind-the-scenes effort on our part to keep the integration reliable and secure. We’re glad that work has benefited you, even if it hasn’t always been visible.
However, continuing to maintain that level of engineering involvement for an aging and poorly supported gateway pulls time and resources away from improving other areas of the system that benefit everyone. It’s also worth noting that maintaining these types of integrations is expensive and labor-intensive, which is why many competitors only support a very small number of processors. And because we place such a high value on platform security and performance, continuing to rely on outdated technology eventually puts both at risk — something we’re not comfortable with long-term.
So while Converge may continue to function for now, we want to be transparent that it is no longer a direction we feel is healthy or sustainable for the platform as a whole. Let's continue the conversation in this post. If you have questions about your current setup or would like guidance on supported alternatives, our team is here and happy to help.
Thank you, as always, for being part of the OwnerRez community.
Thanks for the writeup Steven - I saw that you and Chris both posted in the unofficial group.
I'm down to a single property (sold two others) and haven't had concerns with Converge that I know about. I get at most 2 bookings a day so I'm willing to take the risk of a problem (and obviously potentially losing a booking) as long as I have options to process payments manually.
Qs:
a) can you describe what steps I might take if I ever do start having problems in the future? Even having a guest mail me a check could work I suppose, but some manual workaround using OR or Converge website could be my backup plan
b) if I'm willing to deal with manual steps, can I expect to have a new processor up and running in <2 weeks?
I'm willing to take a risk since I have very low number of transactions, maybe 30-40 annually, and given the long track record Converge might well never give me a problem anyway.
PS - I've previously used one of your other supported processors and really didn't like them, I don't recall why but after signing up I quickly decided to switch to Converge/Elavon. Was probably about a misconfigured gateway and seeing very high processing charges combined with what to me was an arduous signup process that required more paperwork than me getting a mortgage. Elavon/Converge on the other hand needed a 30 min phone call and almost no paperwork.
Great questions, and thank you for asking them in such a thoughtful way. I completely understand wanting to be prepared and minimize disruption, especially when payments are involved.
Let me address your questions directly:
a) What happens if you ever start having problems with Converge in the future?
Even though Converge has been deprecated, it continues to function today, and many users are still processing payments without issue. If you were ever to run into a problem down the road, you would still have options. For example, you could:
Process a payment directly through your Converge/Elavon portal
Accept a check, bank transfer, or another offline payment
Record those payments manually inside OwnerRez so your records stay accurate
The biggest potential pain point would be if a Vrbo booking attempted to process payment through Converge and failed. In that case, the booking may move into a “pending” status and could eventually cancel if no action is taken. This wouldn’t mean you couldn’t collect payment, but it may require some manual intervention to resolve.
That said, there will not be a sudden cutoff or a scenario where you have no way to charge guests at all. And if something did arise, you could always reach out to our team, and we’d be happy to help review options with you.
b) If you ever decided to move to a new processor, how long would it take?
In many cases, users are able to complete a new processor application and be fully live within about 1–2 weeks. The exact timing can vary depending on underwriting and documentation, but that timeframe is very common.
Stripe, for example, has a very quick onboarding flow where you can be up and running within about 30 minutes. However, since vacation rentals are a bit different from typical e-commerce, Stripe may later place a temporary hold on funds while they complete underwriting. In other words, the “waiting period” sometimes just happens slightly later in the process.
For what it’s worth, I personally manage a single property and have used Stripe for over five years. The only interruption I experienced was about a one-week review period where funds were temporarily held while I provided documentation. In my case, most of the payments were for future stays anyway, so it didn’t cause operational issues.
So yes, if you were willing to take a few manual steps temporarily, it’s very reasonable to expect that you could be fully automated again within two weeks.
And regarding your overall approach
Given that you only process around 30–40 transactions per year and Converge has worked well for you, your risk tolerance here is perfectly reasonable. “Deprecated” simply means we are no longer actively enhancing or guaranteeing long-term support for the integration. It does not mean it is shutting off today.
So if Converge continues to meet your needs, there’s no emergency or pressure to change immediately. At the same time, if you ever did want or need to switch in the future, we can certainly help guide the process and make it as smooth as possible.
And I appreciate you sharing your previous onboarding experience. Some processors do have heavier documentation requirements than others, and it can definitely feel bureaucratic at times. If you ever revisit that path, I’d recommend reaching out to the processor with any questions up front. If you’d like help connecting with Lynnbrook or any of our other processing partners, just let us know and we’ll be happy to assist.
If you have any follow-up questions at all, I’m here and happy to help.
Warmly,
Steve
