Check-Out
Reconcile folios, process final payments, and manage departures cleanly.
Check-out closes the loop on a guest's stay. It is the last operational touchpoint — the moment when the folio is settled, the room returns to inventory, and the guest's experience is finalized. A clean check-out means no billing surprises for the guest, no outstanding balances for the property, and a room that housekeeping can turn for the next arrival.
This guide covers standard check-outs and how to handle folio discrepancies before the guest walks out the door.
Prerequisites: You need the Front Desk Staff role or higher to process check-outs.
Standard Check-Out
Most check-outs are straightforward: the guest is leaving on their scheduled departure date, the folio is accurate, and a payment method is on file.
Pull up the folio
Navigate to the Dashboard to see today's expected departures. Select the guest's reservation to open their folio. Alternatively, search by guest name or room number.
The folio shows all charges accumulated during the stay: room charges, taxes, restaurant and bar charges, minibar, parking, and any other posted items.
Review charges with the guest
Walk through the folio with the guest, especially if there are incidental charges beyond the room rate. Common items that surprise guests include minibar charges, late-night room service, and parking fees.
If the guest questions a charge, investigate before removing it. Check the posting history to see when and where the charge originated. Legitimate charges should not be removed without supervisor approval; billing disputes have a separate resolution process.
Process payment
If a valid credit card authorization exists from check-in, the system applies the final charges against it. If the total exceeds the original authorization, you will need to process an additional charge for the difference.
For guests paying by a different method than what is on file — for example, switching from a personal card to a corporate card — update the payment method before processing.
Click Check Out to process the payment and finalize the departure. The system changes the room status to Dirty, removes the guest from the in-house list, records the departure time, and generates a final invoice. A copy of the invoice is available for the guest via email or print.
Ask the guest if they need a printed or emailed copy of their invoice. Corporate travelers almost always need one for expense reporting.
Handling Folio Discrepancies
Not every check-out goes smoothly. Sometimes the guest's folio does not match their expectations, and you need to resolve the discrepancy before they leave.
Guest Disputes a Charge
If a guest says a charge is incorrect — for example, a minibar item they did not consume or a restaurant charge posted to the wrong room — follow this process:
- Pull up the charge detail. Every posted charge has a timestamp, source, and posting user. Share this information with the guest to clarify where the charge came from.
- If the charge is clearly an error (e.g., posted to the wrong room number), remove it and add a note explaining the correction.
- If the charge is ambiguous (e.g., the guest says they did not order room service but the restaurant has a signed check), escalate to a supervisor. Do not remove charges you cannot verify as errors.
Outstanding Balance
If the guest's payment method declines or the authorization has expired, you need to collect an alternative payment before completing check-out. Do not check the guest out with an outstanding balance unless explicitly authorized by management — once the guest leaves, collecting payment becomes significantly harder.
Advance Deposit or Prepayment
For prepaid reservations (common with OTA bookings), the folio may already show a credit equal to the room and tax. At check-out, you only need to settle any incidental charges beyond the prepaid amount. If there are no incidentals, the check-out is essentially a zero-balance settlement.
Common Mistakes
Checking out a guest with an unsettled balance. This is the most consequential check-out error. Once the guest leaves the property, collecting an outstanding balance requires follow-up calls, emails, or involvement from accounts receivable. Always settle the folio completely before clicking Check Out — or get explicit management approval to post the balance to a city ledger account.
Not reviewing the folio before presenting it. Handing a guest a folio with an obvious error — a duplicate charge, a charge posted to the wrong room, or an incorrect rate — damages trust and slows down the check-out. Take 15 seconds to scan the folio yourself before sharing it with the guest.
Not offering a receipt. Many guests — especially business travelers — need a detailed invoice for expense reporting. Always ask whether the guest would like a printed or emailed copy. Waiting for the guest to ask (or worse, having them call back a week later to request one) creates unnecessary follow-up work.