Smart Policies FAQ

No. There is currently no Guest Portal integration. If a guest cancels their reservation via the Guest Portal, the Smart Policy rules (e.g., automated refunds or penalties) will not apply automatically. Such cancellations require manual processing by the property.

No. The system currently allows only one type of Smart Policy per reservation cart. You cannot combine rooms or rate plans associated with different Smart Policies within a single reservation.

You can configure Smart Policies by navigating to Settings > Policies. In the section “Cancellation and Pre-payment”, you can view templates and make adjustments.

You can configure a maximum of three cancellation periods/tiers/rules within a single policy.

The internal name of the policy is not displayed to guests. Instead, the system displays the Policy Type (for example, “Fully refundable,” “Partially refundable,” or “Non-refundable”).

Guests can view the full Guarantee Policy, Cancellation Policy, and any supplemental details (e.g., pet policies) in the booking engine and confirmation emails.

Supported payment methods include:

• Credit cards: Supported for all partial and full payments.
• Digital Wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) & Bank Transfers: Supported in Custom Smart Policies (Version 2), provided there are no future automated scheduled payments.

Note: If the policy requires a future automated collection (like a remaining balance), Digital Wallets and Bank Transfers will not be displayed, as a valid credit card is required on file to facilitate the future automation.

Yes. For CBPay customers, cards are automatically validated at the time of booking to ensure the issuing bank permits charges.

In this scenario, you should configure the policy to “Capture credit card details” (collect card without immediate payment), which validates the card without placing a monetary hold or small authorization (like $1.00).

Yes, this specific workflow is possible using Custom Smart Policies (Version 2), with the following configuration:

• At Booking: Set to “Collect card details” (validation occurs automatically via CBPay).
• Remaining Balance: Add a scheduled Authorization for 3 days prior to arrival (the system will place the authorization if the issuing bank permits).
• Capture: Set the policy to Capture (charge) the amount on the arrival date.

All automated actions occur at 12:00 AM (Midnight) local property time.

Yes. When payments are successful or declined, the system can send notifications, provided you have the relevant system notification for payment email notifications enabled.

All automated charges and policy triggers occur strictly at 12:00 AM (Midnight) local hotel property time on the scheduled date.

Example: If a check-in date is April 21st and payment is due 2 days before arrival, the payment processes at 12:00 AM (Midnight) on April 19th.

Date Changes: If you update the stay dates of a reservation, the scheduled payment for the remaining balance will automatically adjust to reflect the new total amount due.

Adding/Voiding Items: Adding or voiding items (e.g., ancillaries, services) will not immediately update scheduled payments. However, if the stay dates are changed after items have been added, the scheduled payment will then update to reflect the new balance.

Moving Rooms: If a reservation is moved to a room/rate plan with a different price (higher or lower), the remaining balance and scheduled payment will be updated, provided the policy is configured to collect the remaining balance.

Yes. Add-ons selected before the reservation is created are currently included as part of the deposit/prepayment calculation.

No. Smart Policies do not support specific custom times (e.g., 9:00 AM or 12:00 PM). All cancellation deadlines are based strictly on 12:00 AM (Midnight) local property time on the day the cancellation window closes.

Example: If check-in is April 21st and the policy requires cancellation “3 days prior,” the latest a guest can cancel for a refund is 12:00 AM (Midnight) on April 18th.

The No-show fee is supported, but it is technically equal to whatever is set as the Cancellation Policy.

Example: If your cancellation policy is “100% charge if canceled on arrival date,” the No-show fee will also be 100%. You cannot set a No-show fee that differs from the cancellation terms for that day.

The system compares the policy rules with the amount already collected:

• Refund: If the guest cancels within the designated cancellation period (e.g., fully refundable window), a full refund of the amount paid is issued automatically.
• Charge: If a guest cancels outside the cancellation window (e.g., late cancel), they are not refunded. If the penalty amount is greater than what has been paid, the system charges the outstanding balance.

No. Once a reservation is created with an associated Smart Policy, that policy cannot be changed, even if the reservation is moved to a different room or rate plan. To change the policy, the guest must cancel and re-book.

If staff manually override the policy (for example, charging a different amount, changing payment type, or manually pre-authorizing), the policy automation rules for scheduled payments, refunds, or cancellation charges will no longer apply. These actions will subsequently need to be handled manually by the property.

No. The system uses the existing table merge tag in confirmation emails. This tag automatically inserts the updated Guarantee Policy, Cancellation Policy, and Payment Schedule table into the email.

If your Smart Policy is configured to Collect Credit Card Details (capture card only), you can save the guest’s card without processing any payment when creating a manual reservation in the PMS.

To save the card without charging or authorizing:

1. In the Payments step of the reservation, leave the Amount field at 0.00.
2. Click Record existing payment.

When the amount is 0.00, Cloudbeds will:

• Save the guest’s credit card details
• Validate the card (if supported by your payment processor)
• Not charge or authorize any amount

This allows you to take a card as a guarantee for flexible rate plans without requiring upfront payment. If you enter an amount greater than 0.00, the PMS will follow the Smart Policy rules unless you manually override the action.

An interface improvement is planned to make this workflow clearer.