Leaving Hostaway because of the 2% booking fee?

Additional Payment types when recording payments

Status: Requested 1 Vote
Tim K
Oct 19, 2022 12:32 PM
Joined Jul, 2017 77 posts

(Note that I am NOT referring to additional payment METHODS, I know there is already a thread for that)

 

Currently we have the following options:

  1. Bank Transfer
  2. Cash
  3. Check
  4. Credit Card Processed Elsewhere
  5. Paypal
  6. Other

I'm sure I am not alone as an owner/manager who has repeat guests who "rollover" the damage deposit as a down payment for next season. There isn't really a good way to record this currently, and when displaying payment history for a guest the existing categories don't make sense. If you choose "other" it doesn't even list a type it just says "Collected a payment of $500" whereas other payment types will say "Collected a payment of $500 by bank transfer". I use "other" for now, but it really deserves another payment type. Ideally I would like a type of "Deposit rollover", "Deposit Carryover", or "Deposit Carried Forward" or something to that effect. It would even work if, upon choosing "other" there was a description field where we could fill in our own option. This would also allow for people to enter things like "Venmo" or "Zelle". You could then use this description field when displaying payment history: "Collected a payment of $500 from Venmo (or Zelle or deposit rollover).

Joel P
Oct 19, 2022 12:52 PM
OR Team Member Joined Oct, 2009 140 posts

While there is probably some merit in adding other manual payment types, for the situation you describe I don't think you should use a payment at all. A payment reflects money changing hands via some means, but for rollover such as you describe, the money only changed hands once. Entering multiple payments would confuse the accounting side of things. Unless you are issuing a refund after every stay, that isn't what's truly happening.

I think a better way to represent that specific scenario is with a manual discount. You could apply the discount for those guests that you tag as "deposit rollover". This would clarify that you are not receiving any additional funds, but the guest is paid in full. 

This would be particularly important if you integrate with any accounting software, now or in the future.

Tim K
Nov 7, 2022 2:17 PM
Joined Jul, 2017 77 posts

I'm not a CPA and i'm sure someone who is could chime in.....but damage deposits are treated as their own "thing" in terms of accounting. I believe it is a liability on the books until it is refunded. When "rolling over" said deposit, for all intents and purposes I am basically "refunding" the $500 to the customer and then applying that $500 as a rent payment to the new rental. That's how I handle it on the backend in my accounting program. Therefore I would like to be able to reflect that in OR.