| Purpose | Understand how Balance Due and Transaction Summary are calculated, where to review them, and why filtered Folio totals can differ from the balance shown. |
| Best for | Front Desk, Night Audit, Manager/GM, and Admin users who review reservation or account balances. |
| Use this when | You need to explain a Balance Due, reconcile it with Folio activity, or identify transactions contributing to a reservation, Group Folio, or House Account balance. |
| Requirements | A reservation, Group Folio, or House Account with financial activity to review. |
| Expected result | You can identify which transaction categories contribute to the displayed Balance Due and understand how Folio filters affect what is visible. |
Introduction
Balance Due and Transaction Summary use transaction data from Cloudbeds PMS to provide a consistent view of the amount owed. Balance Due is calculated from all applicable reservation or account transactions, even when filters hide some transactions from the current Folio view.
Transaction Summary breaks the balance into categories such as charges, payments, refunds, and Accounts Receivable transfers. Use this article to understand the calculation, find the summary, and investigate cases where the visible Folio totals do not appear to match Balance Due.
Table of contents
- Who this affects and how
- Benefits
- Summary components
- Where to find Balance Due and Transaction Summary
- How filters affect Balance Due
- Frequently asked questions
Who this affects and how
Balance Due and Transaction Summary can support different operational needs depending on the role reviewing the reservation or account.
| Role | What to know |
|---|---|
| Front Desk | Use the Balance Due and Transaction Summary to review what a reservation owes. If the visible Folio totals seem different, check the Reservation ID filter and archived booking-room transactions before making adjustments. |
| Night Audit | Remember that Balance Due uses all applicable reservation transactions, not only the transactions visible in a filtered Folio. Use the archived booking-room guidance when reconciling Folio totals. |
| Manager/GM or Admin | Use Transaction Summary to understand which charges, payments, refunds, and transfers contribute to Balance Due. Review how filters affect visibility when investigating a discrepancy. |
Benefits
Balance Due and Transaction Summary help property users understand what is owed and which transactions contribute to that amount across supported Folio and account views.
- Reliable consistency: Balance Due and Transaction Summary use transaction data from Cloudbeds PMS for a consistent calculation across supported views.
- Clear visibility in Group Folios: Transaction Summary shows the transaction types contributing to the balance.
- Accurate updates: Balance Due updates when pending transactions are removed, such as after a no-show or cancellation.
- Clear visibility in House Accounts: Balance Due and Transaction Summary provide visibility into the transactions contributing to the account balance.
- Accurate regardless of filters: Balance Due is calculated using all applicable reservation or account transactions, even when filters hide some transactions from the current view.
Summary components
Transaction Summary groups the financial activity that contributes to Balance Due. The categories displayed depend on the transactions present in the reservation or account.
- Subtotal: Base Rate and Room Revenue.
- Additional Items: Items & Services and Add-ons.
- Taxes and Fees: Taxes and fees grouped by individual tax or fee type.
- Cancellation Fee and No Show Fee: Displayed when applicable.
- Grand Total: Total of all charges combined.
- Amount Paid: Total of all posted payments.
- Upcoming Refund: Total of all pending scheduled refunds.
- AR Transfer: Accounts Receivable balance transfer.
- Refund Issued: Total of all refunds and chargebacks.
- Balance Due: Grand Total - (Amount Paid + AR Transfer - Refund Issued).
- Suggested Deposit: Suggested deposit amount calculated based on your Property Configuration.
Where to find Balance Due and Transaction Summary
Review Balance Due from the reservation when you need to understand what remains owed and how that amount is composed.
- Open the reservation whose balance you want to review.
- Click the Folio tab.
- Open the Balance Due drop-down to review Transaction Summary and the amounts contributing to the balance.
The Balance Due drop-down shows the transaction categories that contribute to the reservation balance.
For a complete overview of the Folio and its filters, see Reservation Folio - Everything you need to know.
House Accounts
House Accounts can also display Balance Due and Transaction Summary. Older transactions may contribute to the balance even when the default date range does not show them.
- Go to the Main Menu
, and navigate to House Accounts
- Select a House Account.
- Review Balance Due and Transaction Summary at the top of the account.
In a House Account, the Balance Due drop-down appears above the Folio and summarizes the transactions contributing to the account balance.
House Accounts use a default date filter starting from today. If older transactions contribute to Balance Due, adjust the From date to view past activity.
How filters affect Balance Due
Filters change which transactions are visible in the current view. They do not change which applicable transactions are included in the Balance Due calculation.
Archived booking-room transactions
On reservations with archived booking rooms, transactions associated with those rooms are included in Balance Due. In the Reservation Folio, archived booking rooms can appear in the Reservation ID filter with an Archived label.
Select an archived entry in the Reservation ID filter to review the transactions associated with that booking room. Including these transactions in the visible Folio can change the Debit and Credit totals shown in the table because the totals then include those transactions.
The Reservation ID filter shows archived booking rooms with an Archived label, and the Folio table displays the transactions associated with the selected archived entries.
The fact that a transaction is associated with an archived booking room does not mean it should be removed. If a transaction is no longer needed, follow the standard process in How to void transactions.
Frequently asked questions
Use these answers when you need to explain the calculation or reconcile Balance Due with the transactions visible in a Folio or House Account.
How is Balance Due calculated?
Balance Due is calculated using all applicable reservation transactions, including pending and posted transactions.
Balance Due = Grand Total - (Amount Paid + AR Transfer - Refund Issued)
Do pending or scheduled payments count toward upcoming payments?
Yes. Failed or incomplete payments should be removed automatically once they are no longer pending or after they are posted. If they remain visible in the summary unexpectedly, contact the Cloudbeds Support Team.
Why can Balance Due differ from the transactions currently visible in the Folio?
The Folio can be filtered, while Balance Due is calculated using all applicable reservation transactions. For example, transactions associated with archived booking rooms are included in Balance Due and can be reviewed by selecting the corresponding Archived entry in the Reservation ID filter.
Why can the Folio Debit and Credit totals change when I review archived booking rooms?
The Folio totals reflect the transactions included in the visible table. When transactions associated with archived booking rooms are included in the view, the Debit and Credit totals can change to include those transactions. This does not change which transactions are used to calculate Balance Due.
Why does a House Account display a large Balance Due?
House Account Balance Due uses all historical transactions, including transactions outside the default date range. Older transactions can therefore contribute to the balance even when they are not visible in the default view.
How can I find older transactions contributing to a House Account Balance Due?
- Adjust the From date in the House Account to include earlier activity.
- For accounts with many records, use a custom report in Cloudbeds Insights to locate older contributing transactions more efficiently.
- After identifying the transactions, determine whether any adjustments are required.
Related articles
Now that you understand how Balance Due is calculated and how Folio filters affect transaction visibility, review this resource for a broader overview of reservation Folio tools and filters:
Comments
Dear Cloudbeds team,
We have been using your PMS for years and are generally very satisfied. However, this recent change is extremely concerning and in our view one of the most problematic updates so far.
The new behaviour, where any payment that fails 3DS authentication is automatically shown as a zero balance, is highly unreliable and puts hotels and hostels at serious financial risk. Front desk staff and administrators will not realise that a payment is incomplete unless they manually review each individual reservation in detail. This creates a substantial risk of missed payments and lost revenue.
We have already experienced multiple cases where guests booked through Hostelworld or received a payment link, but since the 3DS authentication was not completed, no payment was taken while the reservation still displayed a zero balance due. Fortunately, we caught these in time and were able to charge the guests manually. However, this situation can easily be exploited by guests using cards with insufficient funds or by simply skipping authentication, allowing unpaid reservations to appear as fully paid.
Given that Cloudbeds already experiences occasional 3DS failures, this change makes the issue significantly worse.
We strongly urge you to reconsider and revert this update. It poses real financial risks for accommodation providers and undermines trust in the payment system.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We hope you will re-evaluate this change as soon as possible.
Hello, Marko Kozic,
Thank you very much for reaching out with such detailed and critical feedback regarding the recent payment behavior update concerning 3DS authentication failures. We appreciate you taking the time to outline your concerns and for highlighting the specific financial risks this poses to your operation.
We want to assure you that we have heard your feedback loudly and clearly. We understand the seriousness of an incomplete payment resulting in a zero balance display, as the potential for missed payments and lost revenue is a significant concern.
Please be informed that your feedback has already been escalated to our dedicated Product team for a closer review. We appreciate your patience as the team evaluates the provided details.
Thank you again for your valuable feedback and for bringing your concerns to our attention.
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