| Purpose | Create an Add-On from an item or service, configure its availability and pricing, and control which dates a nightly Add-On applies during a stay. |
| Best for | Property admins and managers configuring guest-facing Add-Ons and rate-plan packages. |
| Use this when | You want to sell an extra service or product through the Booking Engine, update an existing Add-On, or align nightly services such as breakfast with their delivery dates. |
| Requirements | An item or service and a configured Add-On availability interval. For stock-based products, configure inventory as needed. |
| Expected result | The Add-On is configured for the selected accommodations, dates, charges, and guest booking experience. |
| Limitations | Applied during stay is available only for Per Night, Per Guest Per Night, and Per Room/Bed Per Night charge types. The two date options do not change the number of charges or guest total. |
Introduction
Add-Ons are optional products or services you can offer to guests alongside a reservation, such as breakfast or an airport transfer. In Cloudbeds PMS, an Add-On uses an existing item or service and an availability interval to determine when it can be offered.
The steps below follow the same order as the screens in Cloudbeds PMS. Nightly Add-Ons also have an Applied during stay option for services delivered after the night of stay, such as breakfast.
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Table of contents
- Create an item or service
- Configure the Add-On
- Choose when nightly Add-Ons apply
- Configure the Add-On interval
- Verify the guest experience
- Add-On setup and pricing questions
Create an item or service
First create the product or service that the Add-On will use. The numbered instructions match the highlighted fields in the screenshots.
- In Cloudbeds PMS, open the Account Menu
and select Settings.
- Under Products > Items and Services, select + New Item.
In the Add New Product form, complete the highlighted groups in order:
- Enter the Item Name and select the Item Type, either Product or Service. Use the language selector to enter localized names if applicable.
- Review the SKU and Item Code fields. The SKU identifies the item internally; enter the item code when your property uses one.
- Choose a Category or select Create New Category.
- Enter a Description. Enable Notes are mandatory when adding this item to reservations or house accounts only if staff must add a note.
- Set the Price, or select This item does not have a price if a price will be entered manually. Select any applicable Tax or Fee.
- For physical products, review Do not track stock inventory for this product and, when tracking stock, the available quantity, reorder threshold, and stop-selling controls. For more details, see Set up and manage your stock and inventory.
- Select Save Item.
Guest-facing text: Add-On names and descriptions can appear on the Booking Engine. Complete translations in the available language fields when needed; otherwise the main application language is used.
Configure the Add-On
After creating the item, set up how guests can select it and how Cloudbeds PMS handles its charges. The numbered areas in the screenshots match the steps below.
- In Cloudbeds PMS, open the Account Menu
and select Settings.
- Go to Products > Add-Ons and click + New Add-On. To update an existing Add-On, select its edit control instead.
In the Create Add-on form, work through the highlighted areas:
-
Identify the Add-On and choose how it is offered.
- Add-on Name: Enter the guest-facing name. Select a language to add a translation when needed.
- Select Inventory Item: Choose the item or service created earlier.
- Charge Type: Choose the pricing model. The Examples link opens definitions for each model. Some choices reveal additional fields, explained below.
- Transaction Code: Enter an internal code if your property uses one.
- Show this add-on when: Choose how arrival or departure dates affect when it is offered. Use its Examples link for scenarios.
-
Choose how the transaction is handled.
- When should the transaction be posted? Select Immediately when receiving the reservation or When checking-in the reservation. Supported nightly charge types also offer Post add-ons daily.
- If reservation status is changed to canceled or no-show: Select Void the transaction or Keep the transaction posted.
- How should these item values be calculated for revenue allocation? Choose the proportional or full-price method explained later in this section.
- Upload an image if you want guests to see one in the Booking Engine. The current form recommends 1200 x 600 px.
Continue with steps 6 and 7: Set up an availability interval, then save the Add-On. If you are using a nightly charge type, review Applied during stay before saving.
How Charge Type affects pricing and available fields
The Examples dialog defines how each charge type is calculated. Select the one that matches what is being sold:
| Charge Type | How the charge is calculated |
|---|---|
| Quantity | Price multiplied by quantity selected by the guest |
| Per Reservation | One charge per reservation |
| Per Room/Bed | Price multiplied by rooms or beds |
| Per Night | Price multiplied by nights |
| Per Room/Bed Per Night | Price multiplied by nights multiplied by rooms or beds |
| Per Guest Per Night | Price multiplied by nights multiplied by guests |
| Per Guest | Price multiplied by guests |
Fields that depend on Charge Type
Some fields appear only after you select a particular charge type:
- Per Night, Per Guest Per Night, or Per Room/Bed Per Night: The Applied during stay setting becomes available. These types also support Post add-ons daily.
- Per Guest or Per Guest Per Night: Choose whether you charge for children.
- Quantity: Specify Max Sellable Quantity Per Reservation, when applicable.
- Other charge types: Applied during stay is not shown. They use the default All nights behavior.
Understand Show this add-on when
This setting determines whether the guest's arrival date, departure date, or either date must overlap an eligible day in the Add-On interval.
- Not Applicable: Does not restrict the offer based on arrival or departure day. The Add-On must still meet its interval rules.
- Arrival: Useful for a pickup service offered on selected arrival days.
- Departure: Useful for a transfer offered on selected checkout days.
- Both arrival and departure dates: The Add-On must be available on both the guest's check-in and checkout dates.
Example: If an airport shuttle runs on Fridays and Saturdays, choosing Arrival requires the guest's check-in day to match an available shuttle day.
The Applied during stay setting is different: it determines the service dates of nightly charges, not when the Add-On can be offered.
Choose the price allocation method
This setting matters when an Add-On is included in a Rate Plan or package. It determines whether the Add-On's portion of the package price changes when a discount or other rate adjustment is applied.
Example: A Bed & Breakfast package costs $110 before a discount:
- Room: $100
- Breakfast Add-On: $10
- Discount: 20%
The result depends on the allocation method you select:
| After the discount | Adjust price proportionally | Calculate based on full price |
|---|---|---|
| Room portion | $80 | $80 |
| Breakfast Add-On portion | $8 (discounted) | $10 (unchanged) |
| New package total | $88 | $90 |
Expand the option that matches your pricing approach to understand when to use it.
Adjust price proportionally
Choose this when the Add-On is part of the package and its value should change with the package rate, such as an in-house breakfast service.
- Before: $100 room + $10 breakfast = $110.
- 20% discount: Both portions decrease.
- After: $80 room + $8 breakfast = $88.
Calculate based on full price
Choose this when the Add-On should retain a fixed value despite a package rate adjustment, such as a service with a contracted vendor price.
- Before: $100 room + $10 breakfast = $110.
- 20% room discount: The $10 Add-On remains unchanged.
- After: $80 room + $10 breakfast = $90.
Rate-plan packages: An Add-On attached to a Rate Plan is already included in the total package rate you load. For a $100 room and $10 breakfast, load $110, not $100. The allocation option controls how that value is distributed when the rate changes.
Choose when nightly Add-Ons apply
For Per Night, Per Guest Per Night, and Per Room/Bed Per Night, the Applied during stay field appears beside Show this add-on when. It changes the dates associated with the nightly charges, not the total amount the guest pays.
- In Cloudbeds PMS, open the Account Menu
, select Settings, then open Products > Add-Ons.
- Create a new Add-On or edit an existing one. Choose Per Night, Per Guest Per Night, or Per Room/Bed Per Night as its Charge Type.
- Under Applied during stay, choose All nights or All dates except arrival date.
- Save, then reopen the Add-On to verify the selection.
| Option | Dates used | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| All nights (default) | Each night from arrival to the night before checkout | Evening or overnight services, such as dinner or turndown |
| All dates except arrival date | The day after each night, including checkout day | Morning-after services, such as breakfast |
Example: During a two-night stay from October 12 to October 14, a breakfast Add-On priced at $5 per night creates two charges. All nights uses October 12 and 13; All dates except arrival date uses October 13 and 14. Both total $10.
Service dates versus posting dates: The existing posting option still determines when charge lines post. With Revenue Allocation on, the shifted dates become service dates in the folio and relevant reports. With Revenue Allocation off, folio service dates follow posting dates, so the shift may not be visible there.
Existing Add-Ons retain All nights unless changed. Choosing a non-nightly charge type hides Applied during stay and resets it to All nights. Phase 1 does not include arrival-only or departure-only service-date options.
Configure the Add-On interval
An interval controls when the Add-On is available to guests, which accommodations qualify, and what prices apply. At least one applicable interval is required. It does not replace the separate Applied during stay service-date setting.
Return to the Create Add-on form in Account Menu > Settings > Products > Add-Ons and continue with the final numbered areas in the full-form screenshot.
- Select + Add Interval in the Availability section, then complete the new interval:
- Interval Name: Enter an internal name.
- Start Date and End Date: Set the date range for which the Add-On can be offered.
- Minimum overlap and Maximum overlap: Set the reservation-overlap conditions if needed.
- Room Types: Select the accommodations eligible for this Add-On.
- Select Add Date Range to continue. Where applicable, configure the price and weekday availability for that range, and add further date ranges for seasonal pricing.
- Select Save on the Add-On form when the interval and other settings are complete.
The Add Interval form below shows the fields used to define the availability window.
After saving, confirm that the interval appears in the Add-On's Intervals list. The Add-On can be offered only when the guest's search meets its configured conditions.
Verify the guest experience
After saving the Add-On and interval, open your Booking Engine and test a reservation with eligible dates, accommodation type, and guest count. Confirm that the Add-On is offered and that its displayed price matches the configured charge type.
Depending on your Booking Engine settings, Add-Ons may appear before or after reservation confirmation. See Booking Engine Settings page overview for where those display options are configured.
Nightly service dates: In the Hosted Booking Engine, the day labels may still reflect the nights of the stay rather than the shifted service dates used for the Add-On charge. This does not change the guest total.
Add-On setup and pricing questions
Use these answers to check common differences between the Add-On settings, guest prices, and reservation charges. Expand the question relevant to your situation.
How does an Add-On in a Rate Plan differ from one selected separately?
The difference is where the Add-On price is included.
-
Included in a Rate Plan: Load a package rate that already contains the Add-On. For example:
- Room portion: $100
- Breakfast Add-On: $10
- Package rate to load: $110
-
Selected separately in the Booking Engine: The Add-On is added to the selected room or package rate. For example:
- Room rate: $100
- Breakfast selected separately: +$10
- Reservation total: $110
Both examples total $110, but the configuration and revenue allocation differ. Check whether the Add-On is already included in the rate before adding it separately.
Why can't I see Applied during stay?
The setting is shown only for these Charge Types:
- Per Night
- Per Guest Per Night
- Per Room/Bed Per Night
Solution: Open the Add-On and select the applicable nightly Charge Type. If you switch to a non-nightly type, Applied during stay is hidden and reset to All nights.
Will shifting breakfast to the next morning increase the price?
No. The number of charges and total price remain the same.
- Stay: October 12 check-in, October 14 checkout (two nights).
- Breakfast: $5 per night, for a total of $10.
- All nights: Charges dated October 12 and 13.
- All dates except arrival date: Charges dated October 13 and 14.
Only the dates assigned to the charges change.
Why do the folio dates look unchanged after shifting service dates?
Check two separate settings:
- Revenue Allocation: When enabled, the dates selected in Applied during stay are reflected as service dates. When disabled, folio service dates follow posting dates, so both options may appear identical.
- Transaction posting: The existing posting option still determines when the charge is posted; it does not change the number of charges.
Also check: Charges that were already posted are not changed retroactively when the reservation or Add-On configuration changes.
What happens to Add-On charges when stay dates change?
- Pending charge lines: Voided and recreated for the updated stay dates.
- Already posted lines: Remain unchanged.
What to check: Review the Add-On charge lines in the folio after changing a stay, especially when charges were posted before the modification.
What if an OTA extends a reservation but a rate-plan Add-On is missing for the extra nights?
In some OTA reservation modifications, rate-plan Add-Ons may not be automatically added to newly extended nights, even when the Add-On interval matches the dates and stock is available.
Solution:
- Open the updated reservation and review the additional nights.
- Check the folio for the corresponding Add-On charges.
- If an Add-On is missing, manually add the appropriate item to the folio.
This documented limitation concerns OTA-added nights. The previous guidance does not identify the same behavior for direct or Booking Engine reservations.
Next Operational Step
After saving, test the Add-On with an eligible reservation in the Booking Engine. If the results differ from your settings, consult the Add-Ons FAQ for help with guest-facing charges and service dates.
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