Payment questions look simple, but the guest is often slightly worried: "Have I been charged twice?", "Do I need to pay now?", "Can my company pay?". A clear, calm answer that refers to their actual booking removes the worry. A vague one ("payment is taken as per our terms") creates a second e-mail, or a phone call.
Questions about receipts and invoices after the stay are covered in our guide to replying to invoice and receipt requests.
What the guest actually wants to know
- When will I be charged, and how much?
- How can I pay? Card, payment link, bank transfer, invoice.
- Has anything happened already? A pre-authorisation, a deposit or a refund.
Template 1: When and how payment is taken
Template: when payment is taken
Thank you for your question. For your booking on [dates]:
• [Nothing has been charged yet. You pay at the hotel on arrival / departure.]
• [The full amount of [amount] was charged when you booked, as this is a non-refundable rate.]
• [We will charge [amount] on [date], [number] days before arrival.]
We accept [card types / payment link / bank transfer / invoice for companies].
Warm regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]
Template 2: Deposit for a group booking
Template: group deposit
Thank you, we are looking forward to welcoming your group.
To confirm the [number] rooms we ask for a deposit of [amount / percentage] by [date]. You can pay with this secure payment link: [link]. The rest is paid [on arrival / by invoice after the stay].
If the group gets smaller, you can reduce the number of rooms free of charge until [date]. After that, [cancellation terms].
Warm regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]
Template 3: Someone else or a company pays
Template: payment by someone else
Of course, [the company / the person paying] can pay for the stay.
The easiest way is that we send a payment link directly to [e-mail of the payer]. [For company payment, we can also send an invoice to [company name]. Please send us the company's name, address and VAT number and any reference you need on the invoice.]
Please tell us if the payment covers only the room or also extras such as [breakfast / dinner / parking], and we will note it on the booking.
Warm regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]
Template 4: Guest offers card details by e-mail
Template: card details by e-mail
Thank you for wanting to pay in advance. For your security we do not take card details by e-mail, and we have deleted your message.
Instead, here is a secure payment link for [amount]: [link]. If you prefer, you can call us on [phone] between [time] and [time] and pay by card over the phone.
Warm regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]
Example: how BookingWatch answers
An example of a typical payment question and the reply BookingWatch drafts from the hotel's payment policy and the details of the guest's booking:
Guest e-mail · Payment for my booking
I booked a double room for two nights in August on your website. I can see something on my card statement already. Have I paid for the room, or do I pay when I arrive? And can I pay the rest with a different card?
Best,
Johan
Reply drafted by BookingWatch
Thank you for checking, and sorry for any confusion.
What you see on your card is a pre-authorisation that guarantees the booking. It is not a payment, and it will disappear once the stay is paid. The room is paid at the hotel, when you check out.
You are welcome to pay with a different card, or by any other method we accept at reception.
We look forward to welcoming you in August!
Warm regards,
Anna
Hotel Seaview
What we see in our own inbox
In our own hotel's inbox (900 guest e-mails, Oct 2024 to Oct 2026), roughly 12 e-mails were mainly about payment. Another ≈38 were about receipts and invoices, which we cover in the invoice guide. Payment questions are few, but each one is about money the guest is unsure of, so it deserves an answer that refers to their actual booking, not to general terms. With a written policy, that answer takes a minute.
Source: BookingWatch analysis of 900 anonymised guest e-mails to the founders' hotel, October 2024 – October 2026.
Payment policy: write it down once
Most payment e-mails are answered in seconds if the team (and your AI assistant) has a short, written policy:
| Question | Example policy |
|---|---|
| Flexible rate | Card guarantee at booking; payment at the hotel |
| Non-refundable rate | Full payment at booking |
| Groups | Deposit by a set date; rest on arrival or by invoice |
| Accepted methods | Cards, payment link, invoice for companies |
| Paying for someone else | Payment link to the payer, or invoice to the company |
| Refunds | Issued to the original payment method; tell the guest the date and amount |
| Card details | Never by e-mail; payment link or phone only |
| Hand to staff | Disputed charges, double charges, chargebacks |
Best practice
- Refer to the guest's booking, not your general terms. "Nothing has been charged yet" is better than "payment is taken per our policy".
- Explain pre-authorisations in one plain sentence. Many "have I been charged twice?" e-mails are about a hold, not a payment.
- Use payment links for deposits, postage and prepayments. They are easier for the guest and keep card data out of your inbox.
- Be careful with refund timing. Say when you issued it, and that the bank decides when it shows up.
- Put the payment terms in the confirmation and in the pre-arrival e-mail, so fewer guests need to ask.
Common mistakes
- Asking the guest to send their card number, expiry date and security code by e-mail.
- Quoting the guest's card number back in your reply.
- Promising "the money is back in three days" when you do not control the bank.
- Answering with general terms instead of saying what applies to this booking.
- Not noting who pays for what, so the company is billed for the minibar or the guest is charged twice.