Automate deposits, instalments and staged payments so your team can focus on guests - not chasing money.
This article covers Setup, use cases & FAQ
What are Advanced Payment Schedules?
Advanced Payment Schedules let you define a plan for when and how guests are charged throughout the booking lifecycle. Instead of manually tracking deposit due dates or chasing outstanding balances, you build a template once, and RMS handles the rest.
A schedule might look like this: collect 25% at booking, charge 25% thirty days before arrival, then take the balance on check-in. Every reservation attached to that template follows the same rules automatically.
- Save admin time - eliminate manual date-tracking and payment chasing across your team.
- Reduce no-shows - collect deposits earlier and automatically escalate payments for late bookings.
- Better guest experience - guests receive clear payment requests via email or SMS at the right moment.
- Full visibility - monitor all upcoming, processed, and failed payments in one dashboard.
Who benefits most?
Payment Schedules work across all property types, but you'll see the greatest impact if you operate short-stay accommodation, run high-value bookings with large deposits, manage seasonal peaks (Christmas, school holidays, annual events), or process Corporate or OTA bookings with virtual credit cards after departure.
Setup guide
Follow these steps to go from zero to a live, automated Payment Schedule. Each step has a short walkthrough video - watch them in order the first time through.
Overview - What you're building and why
Watch the product overview before touching any settings. It covers how templates, triggers, and the dashboard connect, so the steps ahead make sense.
Step 1: Create a Payment Schedule template
Templates are the foundation. You build a template once, then reuse it across rates, rate tables, or individual reservations. Give it a clear name (e.g. "Standard - 3 instalments") and set the property-based trigger time - the local time of day your triggers will fire.
Setup > Accounting > Payment Schedule Template > Add
Step 2: Configure the initial trigger
The initial trigger fires once, when a reservation is created. Choose the upfront amount (fixed dollar, percentage of stay, or first night's charge), set a wait delay if needed (minimum 1 hour), and configure a late-booking rule to automatically escalate the deposit amount for short-lead reservations.
Payment action options: charge saved card, send Pay By Link by email, send Pay By Link by SMS (RMS Pay required for automatic processing).
Step 3: Add timed triggers
Timed triggers handle future instalments - for example, 50% thirty days before arrival, or the balance on check-in. You can add as many as you need. Each trigger specifies an amount, a timing point (relative to arrival or departure), and a payment action chain (the system tries each action in order until one succeeds).
Use "Ignore next timed trigger" to prevent two charges firing too close together on short-stay bookings.
Step 4: Set up triggered correspondence
Send guests a heads-up before each payment fires. Configure email or SMS notifications to go out automatically - for example, "Your deposit of $X will be charged in 3 days." You can also set an "On Reservation Amendment" correspondence so guests are notified if their schedule changes.
Step 5: Understand change-of-schedule behaviour
If a guest upgrades, changes dates, or your team switches templates mid-stay, RMS automatically recalculates the remaining payment schedule. Previously processed payments are factored in - no duplicate charges. Watch this video before your first schedule change on a live reservation.
Step 6: Activate your schedule on a rate
Attach your template to a rate type or rate table so that every new booking under that rate automatically gets the schedule. You can also assign a schedule directly to an individual reservation - useful for one-off arrangements or testing before you go live.
Charts > Rate Manager > Rate Type > Deposits / Payment Schedules
Step 7: Process payments in bulk from the Automated Payments Dashboard
The dashboard is your command centre. Filter by date, status (upcoming, processed, failed, manual), method, or schedule. For failed payments, select multiple records and use Batch Process to retry in one click - choose from First Available CC Token, Pay By Link Email, or Pay By Link SMS.
Accounting > Automated Payments Dashboard
Common use cases
These templates cover the scenarios most properties set up first. Use them as a starting point and adjust percentages and timing to fit your policies.
Pay in 4
Split the total cost into four equal payments spread across the booking window. Ideal for high-value stays or guests who prefer a lighter upfront commitment.
- Initial = 25% at booking
- Timed 1 = 25% - 60 days before arrival
- Timed 2 = 25% - 30 days before arrival
- Timed 3 = 25% balance on arrival
50% deposit, 50% balance
The most common deposit structure. Collect a meaningful upfront amount to secure the booking, then take the balance before arrival.
- Initial = 50% at booking
- Timed 1 = 50% balance - 14 days before arrival
Full payment at booking
Capture the full stay amount at the point of booking. Works well for non-refundable rates, last-minute promotions, or short stays where instalments add no value.
- Initial = 100% at booking (1-hour delay)
Corporate / OTA post-departure
Charge corporate accounts or process OTA virtual credit cards after the guest has checked out. Useful for bill-to-company arrangements.
- Initial = No upfront charge
- Timed 1 = 100% - 1 day after departure
Seasonal / high-demand events
For Christmas, school holidays, or annual events - secure revenue further out with a stricter deposit structure and a tighter late-booking rule.
- Initial = 30% at booking
- Timed 1 = 40% - 90 days before arrival
- Timed 2 = 30% balance - 30 days before arrival
- Late rule = 100% if booked within 30 days
Schedule Hierarchy
RMS uses a six-level hierarchy to determine which template applies to a reservation. The highest level set wins. This lets you apply a default policy across all bookings and override it for specific scenarios without rebuilding templates.
| Priority | Level | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Highest | Reservation (manual override) | One-off arrangements - staff apply a specific template directly to a booking |
| 2 | Rate Type - Property Rule | Property-specific override for a rate type (e.g. different deposit for one location) |
| 3 | Rate Type | Default template for all bookings under this rate |
| 4 | Rate Table | Applies across multiple rate types grouped in a table |
| 5 | Derived Rate Type - Property Rule | Property-level override for a derived rate |
| 6 | Derived Rate Type | Fallback for derived rates with no higher-level assignment |
Limitations to be aware of
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Full automation requires RMS Pay
Without RMS Pay, schedules are visible and correspondence still triggers, but all charges must be processed manually. The dashboard will mark these as "reverted to manual."
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No specific calendar-date triggers
Timing is always event-relative (X days before arrival, X days after departure). If you have a schedule that fires on a fixed date like "1 March," you'll need to convert it to an event-relative equivalent.
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Pay By Link cancellation is manual
Changing or removing a schedule from a reservation does not automatically cancel any Pay By Links already sent. You must cancel unpaid links manually before issuing new ones.
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CC token defaults to most recently created
If a guest profile has both an OTA-supplied virtual credit card and a guest card on file, RMS charges the most recently created token. Verify this is correct - especially for corporate or OTA bookings.
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SMS not available for single failed-payment retry
When retrying a single failed payment from the dashboard, only Email Pay By Link and Credit Card are available. SMS is available for bulk (batch) retry only.
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Wait before trigger - minimum 1 hour
The initial trigger requires a minimum 1-hour wait after reservation creation before firing. This allows time for CC tokens from online channels to sync before the first charge attempt.
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No global default for companies or agents yet
You can apply templates via Rate Manager at bill-to or rate level, but there is currently no ability to set a global default schedule across all company or travel agent accounts. This is on the roadmap.
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Cancellations stop future payments - refunds are manual
When a reservation is cancelled, scheduled future payments stop automatically. Refunds for payments already collected must be processed manually by your team.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if a guest pays an amount voluntarily before the schedule fires?
The schedule accounts for any amounts already on the account. If the guest paid a deposit at booking via an online channel, the initial trigger will calculate that no further amount is payable at that point and skip the charge automatically - no duplicate payment.
What if a payment fails?
Failed payments appear in the Automated Payments Dashboard with the failure reason. Your team is notified via Message Centre, and the payment is marked for manual action. You can retry individually (Email Pay By Link or Credit Card) or in bulk via Batch Process. Message Centre, System Admins, RMS Pay Contacts, and Accounts Contacts are all notified.
Can I change a schedule after it's been applied to a reservation?
Yes. Open the reservation, click the Payment Schedule, select a new template or adjust triggers. RMS recalculates all future payments automatically, factoring in what has already been collected. Previously processed payments are not reversed. Remember to cancel any unpaid Pay By Links from the old schedule before issuing new ones.
What happens if the rate type changes after the schedule is applied?
The schedule recalculates automatically. Prior payments stay on the account; the new schedule factors them in with no duplicates or overpayments.
Can I use Payment Schedules if I'm not on RMS Pay?
Yes - any property can use schedules for visibility, reminders, and structured instalment tracking. Charges just need to be processed manually. Staff see clear due dates and amounts in the dashboard. Correspondence (email/SMS reminders) can still be triggered, including links to the Guest Portal for self-service payment.
What is the late-booking rule and when should I use it?
The late-booking rule lets you escalate the upfront deposit percentage when a booking is made close to arrival. For example: 25% normally, but 100% if booked within 14 days of arrival. This reduces no-show risk on last-minute bookings and prevents a timed trigger from firing before or immediately after the initial trigger.
Can templates run across properties in different time zones?
Yes. Property-Based Trigger Time means one template fires at each property's local time. You don't need separate templates for properties in different time zones.
Is it possible to accidentally double-charge a guest?
No. RMS uses idempotency logic to prevent duplicate charges. If you believe a duplicate has occurred, log a support ticket immediately for escalation.
What payment methods are supported?
Stored credit card token, 3DS-verified Email Pay By Link, 3DS-verified SMS Pay By Link, and Apple Pay biometric secure link. Full automation is available for RMS Pay customers. Non-RMS Pay gateways support manual processing only.
How do I enable Advanced Payment Schedules?
Payment Schedules are enabled at the database level. Raise a support ticket requesting activation. Once enabled, confirm your security profile has access by searching for "Payment Schedule Templates" in the RMS side menu - if it appears, you're set.
Related articles
- RMS Pay Overview
- Send a Pay By Link
- Automated Payments Dashboard
- Pay By Link templates
- Rate Manager - Rate Types
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