Deposit Rule Configuration and Cancellation Rule Configuration (2024)

Deposit Rule Configuration and Cancellation Rule Configuration

Reservation deposit rules provide a way to manage the advance deposit prepayments guests make prior to their stays. Reservation cancellation rules help you handle cancellation charges or penalties. Select Configuration > Reservations > Codes > Deposit Rules or Configuration > Reservations > Codes > Cancellation Rules to access these features.

Note: The Deposit Rules and Cancellation Rules selections under the Configuration > Reservations > Codes menu bar option are available when the CASHIERING > DEPOSIT HANDLING and CASHIERING > CANCELLATION HANDLING application functions are set to Y. The Rule Schedules selection is available if either or both the Deposit Handling and/or Cancellation Handling parameters are active.

Cancellation and deposit rules can be added to a reservation type, to a rate code, or to a combination of reservation type and rate code (see Rule Schedule for details). Rules attached to the reservation type or rate code will automatically populate to the reservation at the time the reservation is made. In addition, deposit and/or cancellation rules (as well as non-rule-based deposit and cancellation requirements) can be attached to the reservation by selecting the Reservation screen Options menu Deposit button, Cancellation button, or Deposit/CXL button, as appropriate.

Only one deposit rule and one cancellation rule may apply to a reservation at a time, even if the reservation type, rate code, and reservation itself each has its own rule attached. The rate code rule takes precedence over any other type of rule, followed by the reservation type rule, and finally, the rule attached to the reservation itself. For example, if a deposit rule is attached to both the rate code and reservation type, only the rule attached to the rate code will be applicable to the reservation. In addition, if the reservation has multiple rates, and each rate code has a deposit and/or cancellation rule attached, all nights are taken into consideration looking at the rate codes attached.

Note: In ORS, the credit card deposit functionality differs slightly from PMS credit card deposit functionality. Refer to this topic for more information: ORS Credit Card Deposits.

Note: In ORS, the time zone for the relevant property is used for deposit due and cancellation entries. In a multi-property PMS environment, the time zone of the CRO is used for deposit due and cancellation entries.

This topic covers the following subjects:

Deposit Rules - Reviewing, creating, and editing deposit rules.
Cancellation Rules - Reviewing, creating, and editing cancellation rules.

Deposit Rules

To set up deposit rules, select Configuration > Reservations > Codes > Deposit Rules. The Deposit Rule screen appears.

Deposit rules define:

The amount of the deposit. The amount can be a flat amount, a percentage of the rate, or it can be based on the number of nights.
How soon before arrival or after the booking is made the deposit must be paid.

Search Criteria

Template. Select the Template option button to create and manage a set of room type templates which can be copied to individual properties where they may be customized as necessary. Select the All button to select all of the Deposit Rules to copy or select individual rules. Select the None button to unselect all of the selected rules.

Property. If the OPERA PMS Multi-property license code is active, select the Property option button, then select the Property field down arrow to choose the property to search for deposit rules.

Deposit Rule. Enter the name of the deposit rule.

Show Inactive. Select this check box to search only for deposit rules that are inactive. Inactive deposit rules are those which are no longer available for attachment to rate codes, reservation types or reservations; however, they are still recorded in the database for historical purposes.

Grid

X. (Available when the Template option button is selected.) An X in this column indicates that the rule has been selected for the Copy activity (copy to properties). Multiple rules may be selected. To select a rule highlight the entry and press the spacebar. Or you may click in the X column to the left of the entry you wish to select. Use the All and None buttons to select or un-select all records.

Deposit Rule. The deposit rule code that will appear on the reservation.

Description. The description of the deposit code.

Amount. The deposit amount. The meaning of this field varies depending on the Type (computation method) for this rule.

If Type is Flat - The deposit amount is the exact amount of the deposit in the property currency.
If Type is Percent - The deposit amount is this percentage of the entire stay's room rate, plus any fixed charges, packages, and generates associated with the rate, that will be taken for a deposit. For example, if you enter an Amount of 50, the guest will pay a deposit of 50% of the total room rate. If the room rate is $300 a night for 3 nights, the guest pays$450 (0.50 x $900).
If Type is Night Percentage - This deposit amount is the percentage of the first night's room charge that is required for the deposit.
If Type is Nights - The deposit amount is determined by the guest’s room rate plus any fixed charges, packages, and generates associated with the rate for this number of nights. For example, assume the guest is staying 3 nights. If you enter an Amount of 1, and the nightly room rate is $150, the deposit would be $150 ($150 x 1 night).

Type. The method to be used to compute the deposit. See Amount, above.

Buttons

Copy. (Available when the Template option button is selected. Rules may be copied to properties where they may be edited.) Copy the highlighted deposit rule (or rules, if more than one rule is marked in the X column) to another property This button is available if the OPP_MHOT Multi-property PMS license is active.

New. Create a new deposit rule. (Available when the Template option button is selected. New rules may be copied to properties where they may be edited.)

Edit. Edit the highlighted deposit rule. The rule name cannot be edited.

Delete. Delete the highlighted rule. If the rule is attached to a rate code, reservation type, or reservation, it cannot be deleted.

Creating or Editing a Deposit Rule

New deposit rules can be created starting from the Deposit Rules screen when the Template option button is selected. Rules can then be copied to properties where they can be edited for the property. Select the New button to create a new deposit rule. To edit an existing rule, highlight the rule and select the Edit. The New Deposit Rules or Edit Deposit Rules screen appears.

Note: A deposit rule cannot be edited or deleted if it has been attached to a reservation. You can select the Inactive check box to ensure that the rule will not be applied to reservations in the future

Apply Rules To. Available when the CATERING > CATERING EVENTS, BLOCKS > DIARY, or BLOCKS > CENTRAL DIARY application functions are set to Y, select to apply the deposit rule to All, Rooms, or Catering revenue booked on a business block. The value that is selected here will be used in the deposit calculation when the correct deposit rule is used for a booking.

Deposit Rule. The deposit rule code that will appear on the reservation. This field allows up to 20 characters. When editing, this name cannot be changed.

Description. The description of the deposit code. Up to 40 characters are allowed.

Type. The method to be used to compute the deposit: a flat amount, a percentage of the room charge for the entire stay, a percentage of the room charge for the first night, or room charge for a specific number of nights.

Deposit Amount. The meaning of the value you enter in this field varies depending on the Type (computation method) option button you select.

If Type is Flat - The value you enter here is the exact amount of the deposit in the property currency.
If Type is Percent - The value you enter here is the percentage of the room charge for the entire stay that will be taken for a deposit. For example, if you enter a Deposit Amount of 50, the guest will pay a deposit of 50% of the total room rate. If the room rate is $300 a night for 3 nights, the guest pays$450 (0.50 x $900). Notice that "of Stay" appears following the Deposit Amount field when Percent is selected. When determining the deposit for multiple-night stays, OPERA takes into account any rate changes over the course of the stay. In addition, the nightly amount includes any fixed charges (one-time or nightly), packages, and generates associated with the rate.
If Type is Night Percentage - The value you enter here is the percentage of the first night's room charge that is required for the deposit. This type Night Percentage is also available for the cancellation rule. For example, if the rate for the first night is $225, and you request that 40% be deposited based on the first night, the guest will be required to pay the deposit of $90.00 (0.40 x $225). When a new reservation is made, the deposit schedule generates the correct values in the appropriate currency.
If Type is Nights - The value you enter here is the number of nights which will be considered along with the guest’s room rate to determine the deposit requirement. For example, assume the guest is staying 3 nights. If you enter a Deposit Amount of 1 (the deposit is based on the room rate for 1 night), and the nightly room rate is $150, the deposit would be $150 ($150 x 1 night). When determining the deposit for multiple- night stays, OPERA takes into account any rate changes over the course of the stay. In addition, the nightly amount includes any fixed charges (one-time or nightly), packages, and generates associated with the rate.

Example: Assume a 3-night reservation has a Nights-type deposit rule that is configured with a Deposit Amount of 3 (the deposit is based on the room rate for 3 nights). If the nightly charges are as follows:


Rate 1st night	= $150 plus a fixed charge of $50
Rate 2nd night	= $125 with no other charges
Rate 3rd night	= $125 and no other charges
The total deposit requested is $450, calculated by summing 150+50+125+125.

Days Before Arrival. The number of days before the arrival date when the deposit is due. (You may select either Days Before Arrival or Days After Booking.)

Days After Booking. The number of days after the booking date when the deposit is due. (You may select either Days Before Arrival or Days After Booking.)

Notes:

Cancellation Rules

To set up cancellation rules, select Configuration > Reservation > Codes > Cancellation Rules. The Cancellation Rule screen appears.

Cancellation rules define:

The amount of the penalty charge if the reservation is canceled. The amount can be a flat amount, a percentage of the rate, a percentage of the first night's rate, or it can be based on the number of nights.
The number of days prior to the arrival date that the reservation may be canceled without penalty. The date may be associated with a time (e.g., 5:00 PM) before which the guest must cancel to avoid penalty.

Search Criteria

Property. If the Multi-property OPERA PMS license code is active, select the Property option button, then select the Property field down arrow to choose the property to search for cancellation rules.

Cancellation Rule. Enter the name of the cancellation rule.

Show Inactive. Select this check box to search only for cancellation rules that are inactive. Inactive cancellation rules are those which are no longer available for attachment to rate codes, reservation types or reservations; however, they are still recorded in the database for historical purposes.

Grid

Cancel Rule. The cancellation rule code that will appear on the reservation.

Description. The description of the cancellation code.

Penalty Amount. The meaning of this field varies depending on the Type (computation method) for this rule.

Type. The method to be used to compute the penalty.

If Type is Flat - The penalty amount is the exact amount of the cancellation charge in the property currency.
If Type is Percent - The penalty amount is the percentage of the entire stay's room rate, plus any fixed charges, packages, and generates associated with the rate, that will be taken for a cancellation charge. For example, if the Penalty Amount is 50, the guest will pay a charge of 50% of the total stay room rate. If the room rate is $300 a night for 3 nights, the guest pays$450 (0.50 x $900). Notice that "of Stay" appears following the field when Percent is selected.
If Type is Night Percentage - The penalty amount is based on the percentage of the first night's room rate. Schedule the time period when this rule is effective. When a cancellation is made, the cancellation schedule generates the correct values in the appropriate currency.
If Type is Nights - The penalty amount is determined by the guest’s room rate plus any fixed charges, packages, and generates associated with the rate for this number of nights. For example, assume the guest is planning to stay 3 nights. If the Penalty Amount is 1, and the nightly room rate is $150, the cancellation charge would be $150 ($150 x 1 nights).
If Type is Non- Cancelable - The reservation can't be canceled.

Before Arrival. The number of days before the arrival date up to which the reservation may be canceled without penalty.

Before Time. The time before which the guest must cancel in order to avoid penalty (used in conjunction with the days Before Arrival value). For example, if the Before Arrival is 5, and the Before Time is 6:00 PM, the guest must cancel before 6:00 PM 5 days prior to the arrival date to avoid the cancellation penalty. The time configured will be displayed on the cancellation message when canceling a reservation.

Seq. The sequence number that determines the position of this rule in the Cancellation Rules LOV. Unnumbered rules appear in alphabetical order following any rules that have a designated sequence.

Buttons

Copy. (Available when the Template option button is selected. Rules may be copied to properties where they may be edited.) Copy the highlighted cancellation rule (or rules, if more than one rule is marked in the X column) to be used at another property (where OPP_MHOT Multi-property PMS license is active).

New. Create a new cancellation rule "from scratch". (Available when the Template option button is selected. New rules may be copied to properties where they may be edited.)

Edit. Edit the highlighted cancellation rule. The rule name cannot be edited.

Delete. Delete the highlighted rule. If the rule is attached to a rate code, reservation type, or reservation, it cannot be deleted.

Creating or Editing a Cancellation Rule

New cancellation rules may be created starting from the Cancellation Rule screen when the Template option button is selected. Rules may then be copied to properties where they may be edited. Select the New button to create a new cancellation rule. To edit an existing rule, highlight the rule and select Edit. The New Cancellation Rule or Edit Cancellation Rule screen appears, as appropriate.

Note: A cancellation rule cannot be edited or deleted if it has been attached to a reservation. You can select the Inactive check box to ensure that the rule will not be applied to reservations in the future.

Cancellation Rule. The cancellation rule code that will appear on the reservation. This field allows up to 20 characters. When editing, this name cannot be changed.

Description. The description of the cancellation code. Up to 40 characters are allowed.

Type. The method to be used to compute the penalty.

If you select Flat - The penalty amount is the exact amount of the cancellation charge in the property currency.
If you select Percent - The penalty amount is the percentage of the entire stay's room rate, plus any fixed charges, packages, and generates associated with the rate, that will be taken for a cancellation charge. For example, if the Penalty Amount is 50, the guest will pay a charge of 50% of the total stay room rate. If the room rate is $300 a night for 3 nights, the guest pays $450 (0.50 x $900). Notice that "of Stay" appears following the Penalty Amount field when Percent is selected. When determining the cancellation penalty for multiple-night stays, OPERA takes into account any rate changes over the course of the proposed stay.
If you select Night Percentage - The value you enter here is the percentage of the first night's room rate that will be taken as a cancellation charge. Schedule the time period when this rule is effective. When a cancellation is made, the cancellation schedule generates the correct values in the appropriate currency.
If you select Nights - The penalty amount is the number of nights which will be considered along with the guest’s room rate to determine the cancellation charge. For example, assume the guest is planning to stay 3 nights. If the Penalty Amount is 1 (the cancellation penalty is based on the room rate for 1 night), and the nightly room rate is $150, the penalty would be $150 ($150 x 1 night). When determining the penalty for multiple-night stays, OPERA takes into account any rate changes over the course of the proposed stay. In addition, the nightly amount includes any fixed charges (one-time or nightly), packages, and generates associated with the rate.

Example: Assume a 3- night reservation has a Nights-type cancellation rule that is configured with a Penalty Amount of 3 (the cancellation penalty is based on the room rate for 3 nights). If the nightly charges are as follows:


Rate 1st night	= $150 plus a fixed charge of $50
Rate 2nd night	= $125 with no other charges
Rate 3rd night	= $125 and no other charges
The total cancellation penalty is $450, calculated by summing 150+50+125+125.

If you select Non-Cancelable - When a reservation associated with this cancellation rule is saved (that is, when this cancellation rule is attached to a rule schedule for the rate code/reservation type belonging to the reservation) the full penalty amount becomes due upon cancellation of the reservation, regardless of when the reservation is canceled. (If this option is selected, Penalty Amount, Cancel Before Time, and Days Before Arrival are unavailable.)

Penalty Amount. The meaning of this field varies depending on the Type (computation method) for this rule.

Cancel Before Time. The time before which the guest must cancel in order to avoid penalty (used in conjunction with the Days Before Arrival value). For example, if the Days Before Arrival is 5, and the Cancel Before Time is 6:00 PM, the guest must cancel before 6:00 PM 5 days prior to the arrival date to avoid the cancellation penalty. This time is also displayed on the cancellation message when the reservation is canceled.

Days Before Arrival. The number of days before the arrival date up to which the reservation may be canceled without penalty.

Note: When the OPG_XXX OPERA GDS license code is active, and the CASHIERING > CANCELLATION HANDLING and RESERVATIONS > ENABLE CXL RULES IN WEEKS application parameters are set to Y, the label for this field will change to "Before Arrival."

Days. (Only displayed when the OPG_XXX OPERA GDS license code is active, and the CASHIERING > CANCELLATION HANDLING and RESERVATIONS > ENABLE CXL RULES IN WEEKS application parameters are set to Y.) Select to specify that the days before arrival will be in days. After selecting this option, enter the number of days before arrival in the Before Arrival field. You can only enter 2 digits in this field. If the number of days is greater than 99 and not divisible by 7, the number will automatically be rounded down to the nearest number divisible by 7.

Note: The conversion of days into weeks when the number of days exceeds 99 will only occur for a GDS channel, not for any other channel or external system connected to OPERA.

Weeks. (Only displayed when the OPG_XXX OPERA GDS license code is active, and the CASHIERING > CANCELLATION HANDLING and RESERVATIONS > ENABLE CXL RULES IN WEEKS application parameters are set to Y.) Select to specify that the days before arrival will be in weeks. When selected, the number of days will automatically be divided by 7 and the result will be displayed in the Before Arrival field.

Sequence. The sequence number that determines the position of this rule in the Cancellation Rules LOV. Unnumbered rules appear in alphabetical order following any rules that have a designated sequence.

Inactive. Select this check box to make the cancellation rule inactive. Inactive cancellation rules are no longer available for attachment to rate codes, reservation types or reservations; however, they are still recorded in the database for historical purposes.

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Configuring a Deposit Rule