How to add a payment to a reservation on Cloudbeds PMS

Juss Reyes

Updated October 27, 2026 13:25

Purpose	Explains the two ways to add a payment to a reservation in Cloudbeds PMS: online through the payment gateway, or offline as a record in the folio.
Best for	Users who take guest payments.
Use this when	You need to charge a guest's card, or record a payment that was taken another way, such as an external terminal, bank transfer, cash or check.
Requirements	Online payments need Payment Processing enabled and correctly connected. Offline payments do not.
Expected result	The payment appears in the reservation folio and the folio balance is updated.
Limitations	An offline payment only adds an entry to the folio. It does not charge the card.

Introduction

In Cloudbeds PMS, you can add a payment to a reservation in two ways, with or without using the Payment Processing feature. This article explains both options.

	Online payment	Offline payment
What it does	Moves money through the payment gateway	Adds a payment entry to the folio only
Charges the card	Yes	No
Needs Payment Processing	Yes	No
Use it when	You want to charge the guest's card now	The payment was already taken outside Cloudbeds PMS

Wording update: We are renaming some labels in the folio and payments portal. Credit card is now Card, processing a payment is now Online, and recording a payment is now Offline. While this update rolls out, you may still see the previous labels in your account. The steps are the same.

Option 1: Add an online payment through the payment gateway

When Payment Processing is enabled and correctly connected to Cloudbeds PMS, you can charge your guest's card inside the reservation, and the folio balance is updated automatically. The payment gateway can verify, accept or decline card transactions.

Learn how to add an online payment:

If you use Cloudbeds Payments as your payment processor, you may also want to see:

Option 2: Add an offline payment as a record in the folio

An offline payment adds a payment entry to the folio without charging the card. Use it when you do not have Payment Processing, or when the payment was already taken outside Cloudbeds PMS, for example:

A card payment made through an external system, such as a POS, terminal or online banking.
A payment made by another method, such as bank transfer, cash, check or a third-party payment.

This helps you track the guest's balance and keep your reporting accurate.

Offline: This will add a payment entry to the folio, but the card will not be charged. To charge the card, add an online payment.

Learn how to add an offline payment:

How to Add / Post Payment to Reservation as a Record (Without Using Payment Gateway Processing)
If you have the Cash Drawer feature enabled in your account, see How to add Cash Payments to Reservations.

How payments appear in the folio

The new Online and Offline wording applies to the buttons and options you see when you add a payment. Folio transaction descriptions and reports keep the same wording as before. For example, an offline payment or refund still appears as a recorded entry in the folio.

Next Operational Step

After you add the payment, review its entry in the reservation folio. If you need to return money to the guest, see How to Process Refund Through Payment Gateway.