Understanding Checked-Out Folios with a Balance (Cloud)
In Visual Matrix Cloud, a guest folio must be at a $0.00 balance before the system allows the room to be checked out. Despite this safeguard, you may occasionally encounter situations where a checked-out reservation later shows a remaining balance. This typically happens when a folio is reopened after checkout for adjustments, and the user closes the browser window instead of completing the update workflow. Understanding how this occurs—and how to correct it—helps ensure accurate ledger totals and clean audit reporting.
Identifying Checked-Out Folios with a Balance
A folio with a balance after checkout does not appear automatically in standard in-house lists. However, you can surface them using the Include C/O w/Bal option in the In-House Guests & Groups Report.
These folios represent reservations that were properly checked out at $0.00 but reopened and modified afterward, creating a new balance that was never validated.
There is no dedicated Checked-Out with Balance Report in Visual Matrix Cloud.
How Checked-Out Folios End Up with a Balance
There is one primary situation that can create this condition.
Post-Checkout Adjustments
Operators may reopen a checked-out folio to:
- Add a missing charge or tax
- Make an adjustment or correction
- Apply a payment or reversal
If they close the browser window instead of completing the update process, the system saves the change but does not enforce a new zero-balance check, leaving the folio with an active balance.
Why This Matters
A checked-out folio with a remaining balance does not create an immediate discrepancy. As long as the folio still exists in the system, the amount remains included in the Guest Ledger and Daily Report totals.
The issue appears only when the folio is purged.
When that happens:
- The folio's balance is dropped from the ledger
- The purge date’s Ending Guest Ledger no longer includes the amount
- The next day’s Opening Guest Ledger will not match the previous day’s ending balance
- This creates a one-day discrepancy tied specifically to the purge date
The mismatch does not continue into future days; it is limited to that single purge date.
This behavior is not a system bug or error. The discrepancy appears only because the folio still carried a balance at the time it was purged, which causes that amount to be removed from the ledger totals for the purge date. Identifying the original cause can be challenging, as it often requires reviewing the ledger’s balance history across previous days to determine when the imbalance was first introduced.
How to Resolve a Checked-Out Folio with a Balance
1. Reopen the Folio
Open the reservation to inspect all charges, payments, and adjustments.
2. Review Balance Activity
Confirm whether the remaining balance is due to:
- A post-checkout charge
- A missing payment
- An incorrect adjustment
- A reversal that wasn’t paired with a correcting entry
3. Bring the Balance Back to $0.00
Use the appropriate action based on the situation:
- Positive balance → Post payment or transfer to City Ledger
- Negative balance → Issue refund or correct the adjustment
- Incorrect charge → Void or adjust as needed
4. Complete the Workflow Properly
After making corrections, finish the update process in the PMS. Do not close the browser window. This ensures the folio is validated and properly zero-balanced again.
Prevention Tips
- Always confirm the folio is at $0.00 after post-checkout edits.
- Reinforce staff training to complete adjustments fully and avoid closing the browser prematurely.
- Use the Include C/O w/Bal option daily to spot issues early.
- Limit who can reopen checked-out folios if necessary.
- Monitor activity around high-volume checkout times (e.g., mornings, events).
Still Need Help With This Topic?
Ask Yourself:
- Was an adjustment made after the guest checked out?
- Did someone reopen the folio and exit without completing the update?
- Does the balance impact today’s ending or opening ledger totals?
Support May Ask You:
- What is the folio or confirmation number?
- What transactions were posted before and after checkout?
- What was the folio balance on previous days?
- Do you have screenshots of the folio history and ledger view?
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