Check In FX (Free Nights) Reservation (BW)
An FX reservation is a stay booked entirely with loyalty points—i.e., a “free night.” Because the system still needs to post revenue behind the scenes and reconcile with Best Western’s reimbursement process, the check-in for FX reservations uses special steps. In this guide, you’ll see how to properly check in an FX reservation, handle the minimal placeholder rate, apply reimbursement rules based on occupancy, and post to the correct folios.
Path: Front Office > Reservations > Search
Instructions
1. Open the reservation in Visual Matrix and confirm it is an FX (free-night) booking.
2. Examine the CRS Comments section. You’ll see one line for each night that qualifies as a complimentary stay. These lines confirm the number of nights covered by points.
If a guest’s stay includes both free nights and paid nights, the system will create separate reservations—one for the complimentary (FX) nights and another for the paid nights.
3. The displayed rate will default to $0.01 as a placeholder.
After the night audit, this amount should be adjusted to match Best Western’s reimbursement calculation, using the formula below:
- If occupancy ≥ 90%, reimbursement = (points redeemed) × $0.005 × 90%
- If occupancy ≥ 70% but < 90%, reimbursement = (points redeemed) × $0.005 × 70%
- If occupancy < 70%, reimbursement = (points redeemed) × $0.005 × 40%
To prevent the $0.01 placeholder from affecting ADR, you can temporarily set the rate to $40 (including tax) before the nightly audit and adjust it afterward. Remember, the minimum reimbursement for any FX reservation is US$40, even if the calculated amount is lower. Always confirm the current reimbursement formula and minimum amount in your property’s Best Western portal, since policies may be updated.
4. Perform the check-in. For method of payment, select City Ledger, and choose your property’s “BW-FreeNight” CL account (or the equivalent account your property uses for FX bookings).
5. If a B Folio (Incidental) doesn’t already exist, create it now, and set the method of payment as per the guest’s chosen payment method (if any incidental amounts, charges, or extra services will be paid).
Still Need Help With This Topic?
Ask Yourself:
- Is the reservation truly an FX (free night) booking?
- Did I check CRS Comments to confirm how many points were redeemed?
- Did I note property occupancy to determine the correct reimbursement rate?
- Did I select City Ledger and the correct FreeNight CL account during check-in?
- If the rate was $0.01 placeholder, was it properly adjusted after audit or via ADR workaround?
- Does the B Folio exist, and is it ready for incidental postings or payments?
Support May Ask You:
- What’s the reservation number and guest name?
- How many loyalty points were redeemed (per CRS Comments)?
- Which occupancy tier did you use (i.e. ≥ 90%, 70–<90%, or <70%)?
- Did you update the placeholder $0.01 or leave it?
- Which CL account was used for the FX booking?
- Did you create a B Folio, and what method of payment did you assign there?
- Do you have screenshots of your folio and posting screens?
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