FAQ - Front Office / Reservations
Reservations: Creating, Editing, and Correcting
Why does the estimated total show $0 when creating a single reservation under a group name, whereas guests want to pay individually?
This occurs when the group master reservation's Guarantee Type is set to Room and Tax or All Charges. To resolve this, change the Guarantee Type on the group master reservation to None. If no charges have been posted yet, this change will automatically apply at the next audit. If charges have already been posted, any previous charges can be transferred from the group folio to the individual folio (and vice versa, if needed). Future charges will be posted to the correct folio.
Can I backdate a reservation after it’s saved?
A reservation can only be backdated—assigned an arrival date earlier than the current date—at the time of creation. Once the reservation is saved, the arrival date cannot be changed to a date before the current audit date. However, you can manually charge for the additional night if needed.
Can I reinstate a reservation?
A room or folio can only be reinstated if the guest was checked out on the same day and no other guest has checked into the same room number. If the guest was checked out early and reinstated, the departure date will automatically change to the current date. If needed, the departure date must be manually updated.
Why can't I assign a room number to a reservation?
This issue occurs when there is availability for a room type, but no available room number for those dates. Even if the room type is available for multiple nights, a room number may be pre-blocked for future reservations. To resolve this, go to the Room Chart under Front Office > Reservation > Room Chart, sort the room numbers, and filter to show only the room type you need. This will allow you to check for any pre-blocked rooms and assign a room number accordingly.
I have an extended stay guest that I have to change, and the system is saying that the room has been overbooked at least one night. What is the issue and what can I do?
This occurs because the reservation system assigns a room number for the entire duration of the stay, not for individual dates. If the new room type was previously sold out on any date within the reservation period, the system prevents the change to avoid overlapping room assignments.
To work around this:
- Check the reservation out and create a new reservation for the new room type.
- Temporarily increase the overbook percentage for the desired room type, make the change, and then reset the overbook percentage.
The system's current logic considers the full stay (from the original arrival date to the departure date) when checking availability. This prevents unintended issues such as overlapping room assignments, which can lead to errors when running reports or rebuilding data.
How are cancellation numbers handled in Visual Matrix?
Visual Matrix does not assign a brand-new number when a reservation is canceled. Instead, it generates the cancellation number by reversing the digits of the original confirmation number. This method makes it quick and easy to trace a cancellation back to its original booking.
Example: If the confirmation number is 12345, the cancellation number will be 54321.
Rooms, Availability, and Inventory
How can I remove a room block on a room?
You can remove a room block by going to Front Office > Supervisor > Res Management or by editing the reservation and clearing the room number field.
Why does the Availability screen show no rooms available even though I have rooms open?
This can happen when a group allocation is holding rooms. If the group’s drop date hasn’t passed yet, all unpicked rooms remain blocked from general availability—even if they haven't been reserved.
Where can I find the Rebuild Res Matrix tool?
The Rebuild Res Matrix tool is located in Front Office > Supervisor > System Maintenance. If you don’t see it, check your browser zoom settings or ensure the logged-in user has access permissions.
Payments, Authorizations, and Billing
What is the override password required when creating or extending a reservation?
The override password is prompted when attempting to override a restriction or make an overbooking. This password is set up by your management team and can be accessed from the Management Property Settings Parameters.
Why does a Refund Advance Deposit Mastercard show as a "Refund Visa"?
In Visual Matrix, the "Visa/Mastercard" posting subcategory is used by default because Visa and Mastercard are typically processed under the same merchant account and itemized together. As a result, the default codes in the system (e.g., "VS" for "Payment Visa/Mastercard") represent both card types.
If your property has created a standalone accounting code for Mastercard, it will still be categorized under the "Visa/Mastercard" subcategory. When the system processes an automated payment or refund and cannot specify a unique code, it defaults to the first matching code within the "Visa/Mastercard" subcategory—usually the "Refund Visa" code. In reports such as the daily summary or operator cash-out, all transactions in the "Visa/Mastercard" subcategory are grouped together.
We understand this setup may cause confusion for properties treating Visa and Mastercard as separate accounts. As part of our ongoing localization efforts, we are actively exploring potential updates to better accommodate these regional differences.
I'm extending a guest's stay who is paying with cash. How do I determine the amount they need to pay?
When a reservation has a credit card as the guaranteed payment method, a pop-up will appear asking for an incremental authorization. However, for cash payments, no pop-up appears. To find out the amount due, go to the Rate Information section and click Details next to the rate type. The total at the end of the line for the extra day(s) will indicate the amount.
If the reservation has multiple days and the balance is already at zero, you can temporarily select credit card to see the amount VM would authorize to cover the extension. This is the amount the guest needs to pay in cash. Once collected, go to the folio and manually post the Payment – Cash transaction.
How does credit card authorization work for extended stays?
VM is set up to ensure the guest's stay is covered with an initial credit card authorization. However, if the guest is staying for an extended period, you can limit the number of days the system will authorize. The downside of this approach is that while the initial authorization is limited to the set number of days, VM will continue to authorize an extra day each time to match the total number of days.
For extended stay guests, we recommend saving the credit card in the reservation and setting the payment method to Cash. Then, post credit card payments at your chosen frequency (e.g., weekly, bi-weekly, or when a specific amount is reached). This way, you have a credit card guarantee in place, you ensure regular payments to cover the stay, and the guest's credit card will not be authorized daily for additional amounts.
I need to charge a canceled reservation with a past arrival date.
Since the arrival date has already passed, you won’t be able to reactivate the original reservation to post an advance deposit.
In this situation, the best option is to create a new temporary reservation, post the advance deposit there, then cancel that reservation and forfeit the deposit.
In this situation, the best option is to create a new temporary reservation, post the advance deposit there, then cancel that reservation and forfeit the deposit.
For reference, you can add a comment to this reservation noting the reason it was created and the original reservation number it’s linked to.
How can I change a reservation to show the correct City Ledger account?
If the reservation is still checked in and active, change the payment method to Cash, then back to City Ledger. Select the appropriate City Ledger account to direct bill the folio at check-out.
Rates, Privacy, and Tax Settings
How can I mark a guest reservation as "Rate Private"?
If the reservation hasn't been marked as "Rate Private" in advance through the discount code or rate plan, you can update it easily. Simply open the reservation, scroll to the "Rate Information" section, and use the dropdown to change the "Rate Private" field from "No" to "Yes."
How can I hide the rate on a Rate Private reservation if the guest is not paying the bill?
In some cases, guests book reservations online or through a travel agency, where they pay the third party directly. The third party then pays the hotel. In these instances, the rate the guest pays to the third party will not appear on the reservation. The rate shown is what the third party pays the hotel, minus any commission fee.
For Rate Private reservations, the rate will not appear on the registration card but will show on the folio. Please note that folios for third-party reservations should not be given to the guest. If the guest requests a folio, they will need to obtain one from the OTA (e.g., Expedia) or the Travel Agency they booked through.
What happens when a reservation is marked as "Tax Exempt"?
When a reservation is marked as "Tax Exempt," any charges subject to the applicable tax will also be exempt. For instance, if a revenue tax has been applied to an extra charge, that extra charge will also be exempt from tax.
Guest Profiles, Companies, and Flags
How can I view company profiles while in the Add Res form?
Select the Company on the reservation screen, click the magnifying glass next to it, and choose Setup.
Can a guest flagged as Do Not Rent (DNR) still make an online reservation?
Yes. The DNR designation is stored in Visual Matrix, not in the online booking system.
- If the online booking matches the existing DNR profile: the guest will still be able to book online, but they will be recognized at check-in and trigger the Do Not Rent process.
- If the online booking creates a duplicate profile: the new profile will not carry the DNR flag, so the system will not automatically recognize them as a DNR.
The DNR process depends on profile matching. Duplicate profiles may prevent the restriction from being applied automatically.
Confirmations, IDs, and Documentation
Can I print a confirmation letter for a checked-out reservation?
No, confirmation letters can only be printed before a reservation is checked into the system.
Can I scan a guest’s ID in VM Cloud?
You can scan IDs in both Add Res (Add Reservation) and BookRes. The process is the same in both screens: click Scan ID, pass the guest’s ID through the scanner, and confirm the details in the Guest Profiler.
Visual Matrix previously sold its own branded VM ID Scanner, but scanners are now provided by our partner Shadow Custom Software. Your device may look different from the pictures shown in the help articles, but the steps in VM Cloud are the same.
For complete instructions, see Scan Guest ID During Reservation Creation (Cloud).
For our Partner contact, click here.
Check-In, Check-Out, and Post-Stay Actions
Can I undo a Check-in?
Undoing a check-in is possible only if no transactions have been posted on the folio. Once a transaction is posted, the check-in cannot be undone. Even if voided, transactions will still appear on the folio. In this case, the options are to check out the room or keep it in-house until the guest arrives.
Why can’t I change guest information after check-out?
For record-keeping purposes, guest and reservation information cannot be updated once the reservation is in the check-out status. To make changes, you must update the guest's profile in the Sales & Marketing module. Be cautious, as updating the profile will apply changes to all reservations linked to the guest.
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