Settings > Payment types

Payment types help your team keep track of how guests are paying for activities, tours, spa services, and anything else you book through Planniac.

How to manage your payment types

Payment types help your team keep track of how guests are paying for activities, tours, spa services, and anything else you book through Planniac. Some payment types actually charge the guest’s Cloudbeds folio, while others are simply labels to record how payment was handled.

This setup is important for accuracy, accountability, and clean reporting.


Step 1: go to settings > payment types

Here you’ll see the full list of payment types available in your system.

From here you can:

  • edit payment names
  • reorder them
  • activate or deactivate them

Reordering changes the order in which payment options appear on activity forms.


Step 2: understand what actually charges to cloudbeds

 

Only two payment types send a charge directly to Cloudbeds:

  • room charge
  • house account – non-guest

All other payment types are labels only. They help your team record payments but do not push charges automatically.

For accountability, we still recommend recording every payment type used.


Step 3: rearrange your payment types

To reorder:

  • press and hold a payment type
  • drag it where you want it

We recommend placing your most commonly used payment types at the top so your team can tap quickly.


Step 4: activate or deactivate payment types

  • Active = selectable on activity forms
  • Inactive = still visible, but not selectable

Planniac does not allow deleting some payment types because they may appear in old activity records or they are associated with certain auto-generated payments, like from your Online Offers (upsell page) or from PMS add-ons

So only create the types you truly intend to use.


Step 5: understand the common payment types

Here’s what each label usually means:

room charge

Posts the charge directly to the guest’s Cloudbeds folio.

Requires a corresponding Cloudbeds product (a general item like “Tours” works fine).

room charge manual

You posted the charge yourself inside Cloudbeds, not through Planniac.

cash

A label only. You’ll still need your own cash ledger outside Planniac.

credit card

A label indicating the guest paid with a credit card.

You can add versions like “onsite cc terminal” or “reservation desk terminal” to help reconcile.

mixed payment

When the guest split the cost (for example, part cash, part card).

Since you can’t select multiple payment types, include a note explaining the split.

house account

Posts directly to Cloudbeds’ house account cash drawer for non-guest charges.

house account manual

Means you posted the charge manually to the Cloudbeds house account.

paying operator directly

The guest intends to pay the operator themselves.

paid operator directly

The guest already paid the operator.

We keep both options because plans sometimes change.

included in package

The guest already paid as part of a package.

part of upsell

Paid at the time of reservation as an upsell.

complimentary

Free to the guest.


Step 6: use the advanced payment settings

Each payment type also includes checkboxes that control how it behaves:

active – your staff can choose this payment type

zero balance – changes the activity price to zero

room charge – posts directly to a Cloudbeds folio

room charge required exception – allows this option even if your policy requires all payments to go through Cloudbeds

allow for guests – can be used for guest stays

house account – allows posting to the Cloudbeds house account

house account required exception – same logic as above, but for non-guest charges

 

 

These settings make sure payment handling follows your internal policies while still giving you flexibility.


Why to organize your payment types 💳

Payment types may look small, but they shape how smoothly your front desk runs.

When they’re clear, simple, and consistent, everything speeds up:

  • staff know exactly which option to choose
  • you avoid billing errors
  • reconciliation becomes painless
  • operators and accountants stop chasing loose ends

Well-organized payment types also help new staff ramp up faster.

When things are labeled clearly, people relax.

When people relax, guests feel it. ✨




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00:00: This tutorial guides you through configuring payment types in Plano settings.

00:04: You will learn how to set preferences for, accepted payment, methods and non-payment types.

00:10: Click the settings menu to open configuration options.

00:14: Go here to manage the types of payment you accept, such as Room charge or Credit card, and to indicate non-payment types like Complimentary or Paying provider directly.

00:24: You can easily activate or deactivate the payment statuses so the user will see only the payment methods your resort uses. For example...

00:33: ...your resort might never accept payment on a restaurant POS. So deactivate it.

00:40: If you don't provide services to non-guests, or you don't use the PMS house accounts feature,

00:46: you should disable these two and then staff won't even see the options.

00:50: Fill the field with true to confirm this payment option is enabled.

00:51: You can be as specific – or simple – as you want. Only activate the options you need.

00:57: Disable what you don't need.

00:59: Fill the field with true to confirm the payment option is enabled.

01:00: Click the save button to apply your payment type preferences.

01:05: Now review the results by going to the Planns page

01:08: On an activity, open the actions menu on the right side.

01:13: Choose the 'Record payment' option to begin logging a payment.

01:17: Choose the payment method dropdown.

01:20: You can see that those options of 'Debit card' and 'Cash' are no longer on the list. Perfect.

01:26: Click the Settings menu to go back to the payment preferences again.

01:30: Reopen the payment types option and I'll show you a few more settings.

01:35: Click here to edit the name of the setting.

01:38: Let's say you are setting Planniac up in another language or you just want it to be more clear for your staff.

01:44: Change the words - but it's important to not change the meaning because this setting will charge to the Cloudbeds folio.

01:51: Write it the way your team will understand.

01:54: Click save to apply changes to the room charge payment type.

01:55: Make sure to 'save' when you're done.

01:57: Some settings are critical. If you tick this option, when someone chooses this payment method it will consider it a charge to the Cloudbeds folio.

02:06: We also recommend keeping an option for Manual Folio Charges. This would simply indicate that a charge was already recorded on the PMS.

02:15: Let's change it to 'Manual Room Charge' to be consistent.

02:19: Update it,

02:21: And save.

02:22: The 'Zeros Balance' means nothing is owed to the hotel. It could be for something complimentary, included in a package, or when a guest has paid a tour operator, for example, instead of billing it through the hotel. This should get a 'Zeros balance' tick so that it reflects nothing owed to the hotel.

02:40: By contrast, 'Paying Operator Directly', with the 'Zeros Balance' setting not ticked, would leave a balance on the activity until it is confirmed that it was paid.

02:49: Just a safety measure.

02:51: Again, you can decide whether or not to include this option.

02:54: Then if you feel you need another payment type, you can add one

02:58: This is another important setting to understand. Click 'In-room rate' when this is something automatically included with the room that does not require a charge. It will also be selected, by default, if you had a PMS add-on included in a room rate. You can only select one status to have this setting. Here's an example.

03:16: Here is the setting that we have included by default when your account was activated. This setting indicates an activity was included in the rate package. And then we should review the next setting, which is 'Add-on billed on PMS' – another payment method that's linked to add-ons sold during the reservation process. These two are similar, but the first is for add-ons in 'rate plans or package' while the second is for add-ons in the shopping cart before the guest makes the reservation payment.

03:43: Click Save to apply all your changes when you're finished. And then you can add a new payment type.

03:50: Fill the field with a new payment type that you want to add.

03:53: Save it.

03:55: It's at the bottom of the list now. Let's move it where we want it by dragging it

04:00: And then tick all the right boxes.

04:02: Fill the field with true to confirm the payment option is enabled.

04:03: Fill the field with true to maintain the payment option setting.

04:04: We'll make this one look just like 'Credit card' – the payment type right above it

04:09: Fill the field with true to confirm this payment option is enabled.

04:11: Don't forget to save your work!

04:13: Now you have successfully configured payment types in Planniac settings, including accepted payment methods and non-payment options.


Last updated: 2/28/26, 5:17 AM