| Purpose | Understand how to access and use the Reservation Folio, including filters, transaction tools, archived Reservation ID entries, and common Folio questions. |
| Best for | Front Desk, Manager/GM, and Admin users who review or manage reservation financial activity. |
| Use this when | You need to review reservation transactions, narrow Folio results, manage financial activity, or understand an Archived entry in the Reservation ID filter. |
| Requirements | A reservation with financial activity to review or manage. Some actions depend on the property setup or user permissions described in the relevant linked workflow. |
| Expected result | You can locate the Reservation Folio, use its filters, identify archived booking-room transactions, and choose the appropriate Folio workflow for the task you need to complete. |
Introduction
The Reservation Folio in Cloudbeds PMS stores the financial details of a reservation, including room rates, pending and posted transactions, additional items, payments, adjustments, refunds, and Folio balances.
Use the Folio to review transaction history, narrow the visible activity with filters, and access the financial tools available for the reservation. The sections below explain the main Folio controls and common situations that can affect what you see.
Table of contents
- Who this affects and how
- Access and overview
- Reservation Folio filters
- Transfer to Accounts Receivable option
- Reservation Folio workflows
- Frequently asked questions
Who this affects and how
The Reservation Folio supports both daily transaction management and higher-level review of reservation financial activity.
| Role | What to know |
|---|---|
| Front Desk | Use the Folio to review reservation transactions and perform daily payment, refund, and charge-management tasks. Use the filters, including Reservation ID, to narrow the transactions shown. |
| Manager/GM or Admin | Use the Folio to review transaction history, balances, and adjustments. When a reservation contains archived booking rooms, use the Reservation ID filter to review their associated transactions. |
Access and overview
Open a reservation and select its Folio tab when you need to review or manage the reservation's financial activity.
- Find the reservation. You can use the search bar in the Top menu of your Cloudbeds account.
- Open the reservation.
- Click the Folio tab.
The Folio tab opens the reservation's Folio workspace, where you can review Folios, apply filters, and manage reservation transactions.
Learn more about the other Reservation Details tabs.
Reservation Folio filters
Use the filters in the Reservation Folio to narrow the transactions displayed and find specific financial activity more quickly. The numbered image below matches the filter order explained in the list.
- Guest Name, Room #: Enter the guest name or room number. This is useful when more than one guest is associated with the reservation.
- From / To and time: Filter transactions by date and specific time.
-
Reservation ID: Select one or more reservation IDs to display the transactions associated with specific booking rooms. In multi-room reservations, booking rooms can have IDs separated by a hyphen, for example
1234567890123and1234567890123-2. If a booking room has been archived, its reservation ID can also appear in this filter with an Archived label. Selecting the archived entry includes the transactions associated with that booking room in the Folio view. - Description: Filter by transaction description, including debits such as charges and credits such as payments.
- Group by: Group transactions by user, date, room, or other available criteria.
- Sub-group by: Add a second grouping criterion to refine the view.
- Transactions: Filter by pending or posted transactions.
- Audit Trail: When toggled on, the folio will include the full audit trail of transactions, including those that have been voided or deleted.
Click Apply after selecting your filters.
Archived Reservation ID entries
An Archived entry in the Reservation ID filter represents a booking room that was removed from the active reservation but still has reservation transaction history. Select the archived entry when you need to review the transactions associated with that booking room.
The Reservation ID filter can include active and Archived booking-room entries. When an archived entry is selected, its related transactions appear in the Folio table.
Archived booking rooms and Folio totals
Transactions associated with archived booking rooms are included in the reservation's Balance Due. When an archived reservation ID is included in the Folio view, the Debit and Credit totals shown in the table can change because those transactions are also included in the visible results.
For more information about how all reservation transactions contribute to the balance, see Balance Due and Transaction Summary.
Transfer to Accounts Receivable option
If your property has Accounts Receivable (AR) enabled, the Transfer to Accounts Receivable option is available when a Folio has an outstanding balance, such as after a guest checks out. Use the image below to identify the option in the Folio.
For the complete transfer workflow, see How to work with accounts receivable.
Reservation Folio workflows
Use the workflow that matches the financial task you need to complete in the Reservation Folio. Open the linked guide for the complete steps and any workflow-specific requirements.
| Reservation Folio article | Description |
|---|---|
| Add reservation payments as a record | Add posted reservation payments as a record in the Reservation Folio without using Payment Gateway processing. |
| Refund reservation payments | Refund a payment from the Reservation Folio without using Payment Gateway processing. |
| Add or adjust reservation charges | Add or adjust reservation charges such as items, taxes, fees, and room revenue. |
| How to void transactions | Void eligible transactions from the Reservation Folio. |
| Add and use Room Revenue in the Reservation Folio | Add, use, and manage Room Revenue within a reservation. |
| Manage Split Folio in reservation | Add Folios, move transactions, and manage split Folios. |
Frequently asked questions
The following answers cover common questions about archived booking rooms, guest information, room-rate corrections, and Folio dates. Each answer includes the context needed to understand the scenario and links to the related workflow when additional steps are required.
Why does an Archived entry appear in the Reservation ID filter?
An Archived entry represents a booking room that was removed from the active reservation but still has reservation transaction history. The archived entry remains available so you can review the transactions associated with that booking room.
Example: A multi-room reservation originally contains two booking rooms. If one booking room is later archived, its Reservation ID can still appear in the filter with an Archived label. Select that entry when you need to include its transactions in the Folio view.
For a visual example, see the Archived Reservation ID entries section above.
Do transactions associated with archived booking rooms affect Balance Due?
Yes. Balance Due is calculated using all applicable reservation transactions, including transactions associated with archived booking rooms. The Reservation ID filter changes which transactions are visible in the Folio, but it does not change the Balance Due calculation.
This means you may see a Balance Due that includes transactions that are not currently visible because of the active Folio filters. For a detailed explanation of the calculation and how filters affect visible Folio totals, see Balance Due and Transaction Summary.
Why can the Debit and Credit totals change when I select an archived Reservation ID?
The Debit and Credit totals at the bottom of the Folio table reflect the transactions included in the visible results. Selecting an archived Reservation ID can add its associated transactions to the current view, so the visible totals can change accordingly.
Example: If an archived booking room contains an additional charge and a payment, selecting its archived Reservation ID adds those transactions to the visible table. The Debit and Credit totals then update to include them.
This does not change which transactions are used to calculate Balance Due. For more context, see Balance Due and Transaction Summary.
How can I post a day-use service on the Reservation Folio?
A day-use workflow can be managed by posting the charge to a House Account and temporarily blocking the room while it is in use.
- Create a House Account named Day Use. You can reuse this account for future day-use reservations. See How to create and edit House Accounts.
- Post the day-use charge on the Reservation Folio as Room Revenue. See Add or adjust reservation charges.
- Create a room block on the Calendar while the room is in use. See How to block room availability.
Delete the room block after the day-use guest checks out so the room and date become available again.
If you keep the room available for sale instead of blocking it, additional internal management may be needed to avoid overbookings if a last-minute reservation is received while the day-use guest is still using the room. See Overbookings - Everything You Need To Know.
Why did the guest name in the Folio change, or why does an unexpected name appear?
Reason: Guest autofill. When you create a reservation and begin entering a guest's name or email, Cloudbeds PMS can suggest existing guest profiles. This helps when a returning guest already has a profile, but selecting the wrong suggestion can associate the reservation with the wrong guest information.
Example:
- You are creating a reservation for a new guest named John Doe.
- When you begin typing "John," the system can suggest existing guest profiles with the same or similar name.
- If the new guest has not stayed at the property before, verify the profile details before selecting an existing suggestion.
- If the wrong existing profile is selected, the reservation can display that profile's guest information in the Folio.
If the reservation was linked to the wrong existing guest profile, use the guidance below before making changes to the shared profile itself.
What should I do if I created the reservation using the wrong guest profile?
Avoid editing the shared guest profile only to correct this reservation. Changes to that profile can also affect other reservations associated with the same guest record.
Review Edit reservations for the available options to edit guest information on an existing reservation.
If the issue is that the name shown on an invoice differs from the guest's name, see Invoicing FAQ - Common issues.
How can I fix posted room rates?
The correction depends on whether you need to reduce or increase the amount already posted to the Folio.
- Apply a discount: Follow the adjustment workflow in Add or adjust reservation charges.
- Add an extra charge: Follow Add and use Room Revenue in the Reservation Folio.
What is the difference between Transaction Date and Service Date in the Folio?
Transaction Date and Service Date are often the same, but they serve different purposes when a transaction is created or adjusted for another service date.
- Service Date represents the date the transaction is intended to apply to, including a past service date when the user has the required permission.
- Transaction Date records when the transaction was actually created or updated in the system.
- Keeping these dates separate supports auditable accounting records while allowing authorized corrections to the service date.
The image below highlights the Service Date and Date/Time columns in the Folio.
Comparison table
| Aspect | Transaction Date | Service Date |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Current or future datetime | Stable date in property time |
| Modification | Cannot be modified | Can be modified with the required permission |
| Time restrictions | Current or future only | Can be in the past |
| Primary use | Accounting purposes | Financial reporting purposes |
Only users with permission to modify past-date transactions can change Service Date. Transaction Date remains the date and time when the transaction was recorded. To review or change user permissions, see Roles and Permissions.
Transaction Date and Service Date usage examples
These examples show how the two dates can differ when the financial record is created before the date on which the service applies.
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A future reservation is imported today. For example, a reservation with a check-in date of November 30 is imported on November 14.
- Transaction Date: November 14, the date the record was created.
- Service Date: November 30, the date the room service applies.
-
The room rate for that future stay is updated today.
- Transaction Date: November 14, the date the rate change was recorded.
- Service Date: November 30, the date the updated room rate applies.
Related articles
Now that you understand the main Reservation Folio controls and how archived booking-room transactions appear, review these resources for deeper guidance on balance calculations and transaction management:
Comments
How do we change back to this version of Folio? The new folio Ui won't let us charge guest cards!
When will we receive updates on the new folio configuration and any changes to the navigation of reservations in the future? Is there a way to revert the new folio view to the one shown above?
The folio recently changed to a pop-out window and has, honestly, made it more cumbersome to manage payments/refunds/adjustments, etc. There didn't seem to be any sort of announcement of this change and just so happened to go live during one of our busiest weekends of the year which required an impromptu staff training on the fly. Not ideal but we figured it out.
Thanks for any info you can provide!
Hello, Front Desk and Dylan Houser,
Thank you for reaching out and sharing your feedback regarding the recent updates to the Folio UI.
To ensure your questions are fully addressed, we have opened individual support tickets on your behalf. A member of our Support Team will reach out to you as soon as possible to review your specific requests and see how we can best assist.
Please rest assured that your comments—including your feedback on the new pop-out window and your interest in a revert option—will be escalated directly to our Product Team.
Thank you 🙏🏼
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