This guide explains how to check out a reservation in RMS when the account still has an outstanding balance, such as a security bond being held on the account.

Overview

RMS can check out a reservation (booking) that still has money owing on the account. The behaviour is controlled by the When Departing a Reservation setting in Accounting Options, which decides what happens when a User departs a reservation whose account is still active.

Checking out with a balance is useful when a property wants to release the guest at the front desk but keep a bond, a damage deposit, or an unsettled charge sitting on the reservation account for a period after departure.

A security bond is the most common reason a departure is warned or blocked, because the bond sits on the reservation account as a Refundable Charge until it is refunded or applied.

Before you begin

The property must be using Check-in/Check-out, enabled at Setup > Property Options > General Information on the Reservation Options tab. Changing the setting below also requires access to Setup > Accounting.

Set how RMS handles a departure with an outstanding balance

In the side menu of RMS, go to Setup > Accounting > Accounting Options > Reservation Rules tab.

1. Select an option for When Departing a Reservation.
2. Select Save/Exit.
3. 

    

Available options

A reservation cannot be departed while a security bond is held

A security bond (also called a bond, damage deposit or key deposit) is posted to the reservation account as a Refundable Charge. A posted Sundry always creates either a debit or a credit on the reservation account, so a bond that has not been balanced by an allocated receipt leaves the account active. Once a receipt is allocated to the bond and the account nets to zero, the bond by itself no longer holds the account open. What happens at departure depends on the When Departing a Reservation setting above:

• Set to Warn on Departure if Account is Active, RMS names the reservation and the account holding the balance, then asks the User to confirm. For example: 'Res No: 21315, Accomm has an Outstanding Balance - Are you sure you want to Check Out?' Select Yes to complete the departure and leave the bond on the account, or No to settle it first. The account named in the message changes with the account the bond was posted to, so a bond on the Extras account is reported as 'Extras'.
• Set to Don't allow Departure if Account is Active, the departure is rejected and RMS reports that the reservation could not be checked out because the account has an outstanding balance. Clear the bond using the steps below, then depart the reservation.

Refundable Charges are displayed in orange on the reservation account, which distinguishes them from charges, receipts and credits.

Clear a security bond before departure

Use this when the departure is blocked, or when the property does not want the bond left on the account after the guest leaves.

1. Open the reservation account in RMS.
2. Select the Refundable Charge holding the bond.
3. Select Corrections.
4. Select Refund.
5. Select one of the following:
   • Refund Now - the full amount is returned to the guest.
   • Apply to Account - part or all of the amount is retained by the property, for example to cover damages or cleaning. The amount is applied as a credit on the account.
6. Select Process.
7. Depart the reservation.

If the bond has not been paid, either post a receipt against the Refundable Charge or reverse the charge before departing. Full detail on setting up, applying, refunding and troubleshooting bonds is in the Refundable Charge article.

The account shows a zero balance but the departure is still rejected

If the reservation account reads 0.00 on screen and on the Bond Held report, but RMS still reports an outstanding balance, the account is out of balance behind the scenes. Common causes are a rounding remainder on a refunded amount, or a refundable charge with no receipt actually allocated against it, which also produces the error 'there has been no money receipted against this refundable charge' when you try to refund it. On a linked or master reservation, check each linked reservation individually: the master can read 0.00 while a linked reservation still holds a balance, and the warning lists every reservation it applies to.

An out-of-balance account has to be corrected by RMS, so log a support ticket with the reservation and account numbers. To release the guest in the meantime, temporarily set When Departing a Reservation to 'Warn on Departure if Account is Active', depart the reservation, then set it back.

The Pre-Auth Token icon is available on a reservation that is arriving today or has already arrived. The icon is not shown on a reservation in 'Departed' status, so an existing token cannot be consumed or released from the reservation once it has been checked out.

Track departed reservations that still owe money

Any property checking out reservations with a balance should review outstanding accounts regularly. The Debtors Ledger lists all accounts with an outstanding balance and can be filtered to 'Departed' reservations.

Related Articles

• Accounting Options - Reservation Rules Tab
• How to find Departed Reservations with an Outstanding Balance
• Refundable Charge
• Paid Refundable Charge