The Automated payments feature allows you to schedule automatic charges for reservations based on specific timing rules.
Important: This feature is only available for properties using Little Hotelier Pay.
Supported channels
Automated payments can process reservations from the following sources:
Little Hotelier Front Desk (including mobile app reservations)
Direct Booking
Booking.com (standard cards and virtual credit cards)
Agoda (standard cards and virtual credit cards)
Expedia (standard cards and virtual credit cards)
Hotelbeds (standard cards and virtual credit cards)
Available payment rules
You can schedule automated payments to trigger at the following times:
Prior to check-in: Charged a specific number of days before the check-in date.
Check-in day: Charged on the check-in date at a specific time.
Check-out day: Charged on the check-out date at a specific time.
Note: Automated payment rules cannot be triggered at the "Time of booking". Deposits collected immediately at the time of booking must be handled separately in Direct booking or set up with the OTA channel directly.
Create a payment rule
Navigate to My apps > Payments > Automated payments.
Click Create a rule.
Follow the steps to create.
Step 1: Configure payment rule
In the Payment action section, use the dropdown menus to select when the payment should process (e.g., "7 Days prior to check-in").
Step 2: Settings
Select Channels: Choose which booking channels this rule applies to. The rule will trigger for any reservation coming from these selected sources.
Surcharges: Select if you want to apply a surcharge to this automated payment.
Step 3: Review and activate
Review your settings carefully. Rules cannot be modified after they are activated. Click to confirm and activate the rule.
Manage payment rules
To view and manage your rules:
Go to My apps > Payments > Automated payments.
Click Manage rules.
Filter by Active or Archived.
Click View on a rule to see the creation date, conditions, and payment actions.
Examples of automated payment rules
Here are common automated payment rule configurations:
Pre-arrival payment
Criteria: 7 days before check-in
Time: 11:00am
Action: Charges outstanding balance
Includes: Reservation fee and any modifications (extras or add-ons)
Check-out payment
Criteria: Check-out day
Time: 12:00pm
Action: Charges outstanding balance
Includes: Any extras incurred during stay
Check-in payment
Criteria: Check-in day
Time: 11:00am
Action: Charges outstanding balance
Includes: Any extras added after booking but before check-in
Notes:
Rules cannot be edited after activation - create a new rule if changes are needed
When a rule is archived, any existing scheduled payments will still be processed but no new payments are scheduled based on the rule