Authorize CC without Incidental at Check-In (Cloud)
When an incidental amount is set up in VM Cloud, it is automatically added to all credit card authorizations at check-in. However, certain reservations—such as prepaid bookings paid with OTA virtual cards—cannot include an incidental hold. In these cases, you can either remove the incidental from the check-in authorization or process the incidental on a different folio. This article explains both options so you can handle these situations accurately and avoid declined charges.
Path: Front Office > Reservations > Search > Open the reservation
Option 1: Remove the Incidental from the Authorization
If all charges (room, tax, and any extras) will be billed on the same folio, you can remove the incidental amount at check-in. On the Payment Info screen, set the incidental amount to 0.00 before authorizing the card. This ensures only the room and tax are included in the authorization, while keeping all charges under a single folio.
1. Begin the check-in and choose Credit Card as the payment method. The system will automatically include the configured incidental amount at this stage.
Keep track of the initial amount—it’s the value you’ll need to enter and authorize in the end.
2. Click Modify and re-enter the initial amount you want to authorize.
3. Click Authorize.
If the incidental amount is not authorized during check-in, you can still open an Incidental B Folio on the day of arrival. When you select Credit Card as the payment method, the incidental amount will automatically display for authorization. After the arrival date, you can still open a B Folio, but the incidental field will no longer display. At that point, you can only authorize amounts that have already been posted to the folio.
Option 2: Separate Folios for Room & Tax vs. Incidentals
If you prefer to separate room charges from extras, create a B Folio before check-in to hold incidentals. Then, check in the reservation with Credit Card as the payment method. The A Folio will automatically process the authorization for room and tax only, while the incidental amount will be assigned to the B Folio. This method makes it easy to manage prepaid or virtual cards for room & tax while authorizing a different card for incidentals.
1. Before check-in, create a B Folio for incidentals (if one hasn’t already been created automatically). This step is essential. To do this, open the reservation and click Guest Account from the tools on the right-hand side.
2. Check in the reservation using Credit Card as the payment method. Since the A Folio is designated for Room & Tax only, the incidental amount will not be included in the authorization.
3. Once the credit card window opens, confirm the authorization, and complete the check-in.
Authorize Incidentals Separately on Folio B
In some cases, you may want to keep room and tax on one folio but authorize incidentals independently. This is common when the main folio uses a virtual card that only covers room and tax. In this workflow, you’ll process incidentals exclusively on Folio B using a different credit card.
1. Open the Guest Account and open the B Folio.
2. Scroll down to the "Payment Info" and select Credit Card.
3. The incidental amount defined in the credit card interface will appear in the Current Auth Amount field. If needed, you can adjust this amount before proceeding.
If you don’t need to authorize incidentals or prefer not to use a separate folio, you can adjust the authorization amount directly in the credit card window. Click Modify next to the authorization amount to increase or decrease it as needed.
Still need help with this topic?
Ask Yourself:
- Is this reservation prepaid with an OTA virtual card?
- Did I remove the incidental hold from the check-in authorization?
- Do I need to authorize a separate card for incidentals?
Support May Ask You:
- Which folio(s) are you authorizing (room vs. incidentals)?
- Did you set the incidental field to zero in Payment Info?
- Was a separate card obtained from the guest for incidentals?
- Do you have screenshots of the Payment Info and Folio screens?
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