When to invoice guests: invoice moment

In a nutshell

Setting the invoice moment on confirmation, will ensure that the confirmation email contains an invoice, and any payments made will be linked to that invoice as well as the reservation.
Setting the invoice moment on check-in, or check-out, means that a guest invoice is only created and dated with either the check-in or check-out action.
Therefore, the confirmation email to the guest will not contain an invoice. It will however, contain a payment link. This payment will be registered on the reservation, and will be shown on the final invoice once it is created.

How order changes are handled

It may happen that a booker changes their reservation, or adds things to it, either between confirmation and arrival, or during their stay. How are these additional costs handled for the different invoice moments?

Invoice upon confirmation: Because the invoice has already been created, you need to create a new invoice for the new total, and credit the old invoice.
Invoice upon check-in: Between confirmation and check-in, any changes are easily added to the invoice, since it has not been finalized yet. During the stay, any additions will need to be handled by creating a new invoice and crediting the old one.
Invoice upon check-out: Any changes are easily added to the invoice, since it will only be finalized once the guests are leaving.

Creating an invoice before the set invoicing moment

Regardless of the set invoice moment, it is possible to manually create a guest invoice under the 'Invoice' heading in the reservation page. This invoice will be treated as the final invoice, meaning that any subsequent changes will require you to create a new invoice and credit the old one.

Payment schedule remains unaffected

The payment schedule can be found under 'Payment status' in the reservation. Using the three dots, you can edit the payment schedule if needed.

Accounting of invoicing at check-in or check-out

Any payments made before the expected invoice date, are registered on the reservation. When creating the invoice, these payments are included on the invoice.

Dedicated ledger account

When using invoicing at check-in or check-out, any payments that are made before the creation of the invoice are registered on ledger account 2050, Prepayments. When the final invoice is created, the payments are linked to the invoice and the money is redistributed to the appropriate ledger accounts.

Effect on 'Distributing turnover across months'

In the accounting tab of your Administration settings, you have the choice to distribute turnover across months. This means that the income from reservations that run from one month into the next, are split proportionally across these months. However, this option is only available if you use 'invoice at confirmation'. If you invoice your guests only at check-in or check-out, the full reservation revenue is booked on the invoice date.

Open payments according to payment schedule, but no invoice yet

Payments due for reservations without a final invoice, are recorded under the booking number. You can filter these reservations in the 'Open Payments' overview by selecting the document type 'Booking'.

How changing the invoice moment affects reservations

Nothing changes for existing reservations. Changing your invoice moment will affect new reservations only. This means that for a time, your administration will contain reservations of both kinds.

How the invoice moment affects commission agreements

Most commission agreements have a settlement method. In a settlement method, you attribute the rent turnover to a date relative to the reservation. Always make sure that these settlement methods match the invoicing moment, or are later. So, if invoicing on check-in, make sure the settlement methods of your commission agreements are set to either 'Arrival' or 'Departure'. This is because an owner settlement cannot be created if the guest invoice has not been finalized.