Applies to:          Stayntouch PMS          

Deposit Invoice Functionality

This guide explains the Deposit Invoice functionality, as it pertains to specific customers using Deposit Invoices in Europe.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Deposit Invoice Enhancements
• Deposit Invoice
• Generate Deposit Invoice With Company Address Details
• Deposit Type Charge Codes
• Update Deposit Rule Amount When Deposit Type Charge Codes Are Excluded
• Update Financial Transactions When Deposit Type Charge Codes Are Excluded
• Link Different Entities To Deposit Bills
• Link Different Entities To Deposit Policy Screens

Deposit Invoice Enhancements

We’ve made enhancements to deposit invoices to align with European legal requirements for generating deposit invoices and keeping deposit invoice charges on their own dedicated deposit bill.

Please note, deposit invoices must be enabled by Stayntouch Admin. Please contact Customer Support to have deposit invoices enabled for your property.

Overview

The deposit invoice functionality requires changes to align the functionality with financial legal requirements specified for deposit invoices.

• Deposit invoices must have a sequence number allocated (folio or unique deposit invoice number sequence).
• Any “copy of” deposit invoices must be marked as a “copy of”.
• The deposit bill functionality allows users to keep deposit transactions separate from normal financial transactions.

Deposit Invoice Setup

To streamline the deposit invoice functionality, we’ve hidden the dropdown option for DEPOSIT CHARGE CODE to be linked to standard charge code types.

Stayntouch PMS does not use the standard charge codes with the linked deposit charge codes as the trigger to post the deposit charge codes upon the first deposit payment made to the reservation. We’ve also removed the deposit charge code type from the standard charge code setup CHARGE CODE TYPE.

Moreover, we’ve added a new section under Settings > Financials called Deposit Invoice Charge Code Setup, where hotels can link their deposit charge code. This charge code will be the default, as deposit charge code types cannot be changed.

The deposit charge code with its linked taxes will still need to be configured from Settings > Financials > Charge Codes as a DEPOSITCHARGE CODE TYPE, but once it is linked from Settings > Financials > Deposit Invoice Charge Code Setup, that charge code will not be available for any other purposes.

Note: This section is available when the deposit invoice functionality is enabled for the property.

Deposit Invoice Billing

From the Guest Bill screen, we’ve added a deposit bill type. Deposit bills will only be used for deposit charges and payments, and they will only be created when the deposit invoice functionality is enabled. There is no limitation to the number of deposit bills that can be created for a reservation. The deposit bill will display at the end of the list of bills on the Guest Bill screen.

Deposit type charges codes will be posted only to deposit bill types and be locked at the time of the deposit payment—these transactions and payments cannot be moved to normal bills. The deposit credit will move to Bill #1 when the reservation is checked in—assuming Bill #1 has not been closed; if Bill #1 has been closed, then it will move to Bill #2, etc.

Lock bill functionality must be enabled for the property when using deposit invoice functionality. The deposit bill will be locked when a user posts the payment and the deposit charge code to the same value of the payment, resulting in a zero-balance bill.

Once the deposit bill is automatically closed, the next deposit and its charges will be posted to Deposit Bill #2, etc.

When a user posts the deposit charge code to the same value of the payment using the deposit charge code linked from Settings > Financials > Deposit Invoice Charge Code Setup, it will result in a zero-balance deposit bill, which will then lock the bill and generate the final deposit invoice.

As soon as the deposit bill is locked, and the reservation is still due-in, Stayntouch PMS will automatically create the next deposit bill.

Deposit bill locking will occur automatically for each bill when the deposit is taken and the contra deposit charges are raised. The deposit bill will not be open, as the legal deposit invoice was generated. 

This functionality will employ the same invoice number sequence (folio) as standard bills; however, we’ve added a unique deposit invoice sequence number setup from Stayntouch Admin settings that will be used for the deposit invoices. Please note, this must be done by Stayntouch Admin, so please contact Customer Support to configure this. Once configured, the deposit invoice number sequence will be displayed on the deposit invoices and not the folio number sequence.

Deposit Invoice Charge Logic

The deposit type charge code linked with the taxes required from Settings > Financials > Deposit Invoice Charge Code Setup must be configured from Settings > Financials > Charge Codes as a DEPOSIT CHARGE CODE TYPE.

Linking the deposit type charge code from Settings > Financials > Deposit Invoice Charge Code Setup will then use this charge code to generate the deposit type charges on reservations.

Example: When a user posts a deposit payment with a value of 1,000 Euros, and the deposit type charge code linked to the deposit charge code setup is DEP10, it will then have the following charges on the deposit bill.

The bill balance will be zero, and the user will automatically be forced to close the invoice and generate the deposit invoice, which will result in a locked bill.

Upon confirmation, the deposit invoice will be generated with either the folio number or the unique deposit invoice number. This deposit invoice will be called Deposit Invoice, and any reprints will be Copy of Deposit Invoice (if the copy counter is on, it will follow the number of copies logic). The deposit bill will then be locked. Stayntouch PMS will then automatically create a new deposit bill, which can be used for the next deposit payment and will follow the same logic as above.

Deposit Void

Locked deposit bills can be voided and voided and reposted like standard bills.

When a bill is locked, and the user needs to refund the deposit or they made a mistake, then the user can use the void functionality. The void logic for deposit bills is exactly the same as the existing void logic and will repost the charges on the bill in the voided bill.

Voided Bill Example

Void Deposit Bill Example

Refund Deposit Bill Example

This will also result in a zero-balance invoice, and the user will be able to print the deposit invoice and lock the bill.

Deposit Bill Rules

• Only deposit type charge codes and deposit payments can exist on a deposit bill.
• You cannot split charges or split payments on a deposit bill type, as the invoice was generated at the time of deposit payment.

Deposit Reports

When the deposit invoice functionality is enabled, an additional filter will appear on the Deposit Balance Summary Report that allows users to choose to EXCLUDE DEPOSIT CHARGES. The objective of this filter is to provide the hotel with a report that shows only the deposit payments, so they can see the status of their actual deposits on hand.

Deposit Charge Codes – Journal

Deposit charge codes remain within the DEPOSIT BALANCE ledger from Financials > Journal > SUMMARY and are reversed from the DEPOSIT BALANCE ledger once a reservation has checked in. The summary of all deposit type charges on all deposit bills must be posted in the active guest bill at check-in as a single deposit type charge using the same charge code but with additional reference text (e.g., deposit charges moved at check-in).

Example Guest Bill 1

Please note, when a deposit bill is locked, Stayntouch PMS will not show the payment on the Guest Bill, but it will instead post the counter deposit charge onto the Guest Bill as a credit.

Moreover, if a reservation has more than one deposit bill with deposit charges, when the reservation checks in, Stayntouch PMS will post each deposit credit of all the deposit charges and post in the Guest Bill with the description, “Deposit charge moved at check-in.”

Deposit/Guest Ledger

The deposit type charge code posted on the Guest Bill will show a reference text deposit charge moved at check-in. Deposit payments will be moved from the deposit ledger to the guest ledger. Please note, these transactions will not be shown on the Guest Bill.

Deposit Invoice

We have introduced a Deposit Invoice that allows hotels to display the stay charges that will be incurred when a guest checks into the hotel in order to accept a deposit. Please note, this functionality must be enabled by Stayntouch Admin, so please contact Customer Support to have this activated for your hotel.

Once enabled, you will see a new Deposit Invoice option from the BILL LAYOUT dropdown when generating an invoice from the deposit bill window on the Guest Bill. The Deposit Invoice will show all charges linked to the rate and add-ons attached to the reservation, and will populate a Deposit Invoice. This functionality will not raise any charges at the time of generation.

You can also configure Deposit Invoice settings from Settings > Hotel & Staff > Stationery > Deposit Invoice.

Generate Deposit Invoice With Company Address Details

You can now generate a Deposit Invoice with company address details. When a reservation is created with a Company Card attached, from Bill #1, you can now select a checkbox to USE COMPANY ADDRESS before paying the deposit for the reservation.

Once the USE COMPANY ADDRESS checkbox is selected, you can take the deposit payment for the reservation, and the Deposit Invoice will show the company address. If the USE COMPANY ADDRESS checkbox is not selected when a Company Card is attached to the reservation, the Deposit Invoice will use the primary guest details (as per existing functionality).

Any Copy Of Deposit Invoices and Void Deposit Invoices will also use the company address when USE COMPANY ADDRESS is selected.

NOTE: If the company address is detached or the USE COMPANY ADDRESS checkbox is unchecked when generating the void bill, the Void Deposit Invoice will use the primary guest details.

Deposit Type Charge Codes

From Settings > Financials > Deposit Invoice Charge Code Setup, you’ll now see an option to EXCLUDE FROM DEPOSIT INVOICE. From here, you can select to exclude any of the Tax charge codes configured for your property when completing deposit collection to exclude those tax amounts from the Deposit Invoice. You can choose to exclude one or multiple charge codes.

Items to Note:

• All exclusive and inclusive taxes are available for selection.
• If the Deposit Invoice functionality is disabled for a property, Stayntouch PMS will clear the selection.
• When the deposit type charge code gets changed, the tax charge code selection will NOT change—Stayntouch PMS will keep the selected taxes as is. If you want to change this, you must update the selection.

Update Deposit Rule Amount When Deposit Type Charge Codes Are Excluded

When collecting deposits for reservations where the deposit type charge taxes have been set as EXCLUDE FROM DEPOSIT INVOICE from Settings > Financials > Deposit Invoice Charge Code Setup, those amounts will NOT be calculated in the deposit amounts. When no deposit rule is attached, this logic will not apply.

Update Financial Transactions When Deposit Type Charge Codes Are Excluded

When posting a deposit to a bill, and the deposit type charge is created, and the tax linked has been flagged as EXCLUDE FROM DEPOSIT INVOICE, the tax should be excluded from the deposit type charges posted in the deposit ledger.

Exclusive and inclusive taxes flagged as EXCLUDE FROM DEPOSIT INVOICE  from Settings > Financials > Deposit Invoice Charge Code Setup should NOT be posted at all in the deposit ledger with the deposit type charges.

Link Different Entities To Deposit Bills

You can now link different entities to the deposit bill before paying the deposit, which will allow you to generate a deposit invoice for either the primary guest, accompanying guest, and company or travel agent. Please note, you will need to first set the entity on the deposit bill before you can make the deposit payment, as the deposit bill will be locked once the payment is made. Once the deposit bill is locked, this cannot be changed.

Items to Note:

• The direct bill payment method is not available for deposit invoices when a company or travel agent is linked as an entity to the bill.
• The entity set on the deposit bill will always be used when generating the deposit invoice. Even during the EOD process, it must use the entity set on the deposit bill to generate the deposit invoice.
• When voiding a bill, the entity set on the original deposit bill will be used when voiding the deposit bill.
• If  no entity is set, the entity should default to the primary guest card.
• When auto deposit collection is done, auto deposit collection will use the primary guest entity and payment method, and the deposit bill entity will be updated with that information, regardless of what was set on the deposit bill. 

Link Different Entities To Deposit Policy Screens

You can now link different entities on the stay card DEPOSIT/BALANCE screen.

Items to Note:

• Payment method used to pay the deposit will update the payment method on the bill.
• When the entity is selected during the deposit payment, and the deposit bill has a different entity, the selected entity will update on the deposit bill when the deposit is paid. 
• When auto deposit collection is completed, auto deposit collection will use the primary guest entity and payment method, and the deposit bill entity will be updated with that information.