Guest Stay and Folio Management Settings (Cloud)
The Guest Stay and Folio Management Settings control how guest charges are posted, how late departures are handled, and how incidental expenses are managed throughout the guest stay. These settings help properties define their operational and billing workflows from check-in through check-out.
Path: Management > Property Settings > Parameters > Parameters
Post Room and Tax On Check-In
The Post Room and Tax On Check-In setting determines when room charges and applicable taxes are posted to guest folios.
When enabled:
- Room charges are posted when the guest is checked in.
- Applicable taxes are posted at the same time.
- Charges become immediately visible on the guest folio.
When disabled:
- Room charges and taxes are posted during the Night Audit process.
- Charges do not appear on the folio until the nightly posting occurs.
When room charges and taxes are posted during check-in, financial transactions are immediately created on the guest folio.
Because transactions already exist on the folio, the check-in cannot be undone using the standard undo check-in process. Any corrections must be handled through normal folio adjustment procedures rather than by reversing the check-in itself.
Maximum Late Check-Out Time
The Maximum Late Check-Out Time setting defines the property's late check-out threshold.
When a guest is checked out after the configured time, Visual Matrix displays a warning message if no additional Room and Tax posting has been made for the late departure.
How It Works
If a guest remains in-house beyond the configured late check-out time, the system reminds the user that no additional Room and Tax charges have been posted for the extended stay period.
Users can then choose whether to continue with the check-out process based on the property's policies and the guest's circumstances.
This setting does not automatically post additional charges or apply a late check-out fee.
It serves as a reminder to review whether additional Room and Tax charges should be posted before completing the guest's check-out.
Allow Incidental Folio
The Allow Incidental Folio setting enables the use of separate folios for room charges and incidental expenses.
When used, Visual Matrix creates:
- A Folio: Room and Tax charges.
- B Folio: Incidental charges.
This separation allows prepaid room charges and guest-incurred expenses to be tracked independently.
How It Is Commonly Used
Incidental folios are particularly useful for:
- Prepaid reservations.
- Third-party reservations.
- OTA reservations where room and tax have already been paid.
In these situations, guests may still incur additional charges during their stay, such as:
- Room service.
- Market purchases.
- Parking fees.
- Other incidental expenses.
Using a separate incidental folio provides clearer billing and allows guests to review charges that were not included in the original reservation payment.
Automatic Folio Creation
When enabled, Visual Matrix supports the automatic creation of separate A and B folios for qualifying online Rate Private reservations.
If multiple folios have not already been created for the reservation, the system automatically creates:
- An A Folio for Room and Tax.
- A B Folio for Incidentals.
For this functionality to operate correctly, the feature must also be enabled within the channel manager rate plan mapping configuration.
Payment Authorization
When an incidental folio is used, a guest's payment method may be authorized for incidental expenses during the stay.
At checkout, the authorization hold is released, and any posted incidental charges are settled according to the property's payment procedures.
Save Changes
After modifying any Guest Stay and Folio Management setting, click Save at the top of the page to store your changes. Unsaved changes will not be applied to the property configuration.
Still Need Help With This Topic?
Ask Yourself:
- Should room charges be posted during check-in or Night Audit?
- Is the late check-out threshold configured appropriately?
- Are incidental charges being tracked separately when needed?
- Is the PMS configured to support automatic incidental folios?
Support May Ask You:
- Is the reservation's rate plan configured as a Rate Private rate plan?
- Is the reservation prepaid or third-party billed?
- Was the guest checked in before the issue occurred?
- Are multiple folios present on the reservation?
- Is the channel manager configured to support automatic incidental folios?
Related Articles
Related Articles
**Understanding Property Settings Parameters (Cloud)
The Parameters page contains many of the settings that control how Visual Matrix Cloud behaves throughout the PMS. From reservation policies and financial reporting preferences to occupancy calculations and security controls, these settings affect ...Void Tax on Guest or Group Folio (Cloud)
Taxes in Visual Matrix are automatically posted as secondary transactions when a taxable charge—like Room and Tax or a taxable Miscellaneous item—is recorded. Because of this link, you cannot void or edit a tax line directly. This article explains ...**Guest Folio Settings and Customization (Cloud)
Guest folios are more than just receipts—they represent your property’s branding, communicate charges clearly to guests, and support accurate financial tracking. The Guest Folios section in Visual Matrix Cloud allows you to control how folios look, ...Configure Private Rates for Reservations (Cloud)
Private rates hide the rate amount on guest-facing documents, such as the registration card. This is useful when a third party is paying or when the rate should not be disclosed. In VM Cloud, you can mark a single reservation as Private, or configure ...Add Incidental Folio to Reservation (Cloud) 🎥
? Watch Video Sometimes a guest wants their incidental charges—like meals, bar tabs, or extra services—kept separate from their room and tax charges. VM Cloud makes this possible by setting up an incidental folio (usually Folio B) within the ...