What is the best payment gateway for hotels?
The best payment gateway for a hotel is one that is certified with its PMS, because the integration decides whether authorizations, incrementals, and refunds run automatically. A gateway with the lowest rate but no PMS certification forces staff to key cards twice.
Check 4 features before choosing:
- Certified integration with your PMS and booking engine
- Network tokens that update when a guest's card is reissued
- Support for estimated and incremental authorizations
- 3-D Secure 2 on card-not-present bookings
How does a gateway connect to my PMS?
A gateway connects to a PMS through a certified integration that passes tokens and transaction results between the 2 systems. Hotels on Oracle OPERA Cloud, Mews, Cloudbeds, Stayntouch, and other modern PMSs choose from a list of supported gateways. Tell us your PMS and we confirm compatibility before you sign anything. Our page on the hotel payment system explains how the PMS, gateway, and terminals fit together.
Can a gateway collect deposits and prepayments?
Yes. A hotel payment gateway collects deposits through the booking engine at reservation, through pay-by-link emails for phone and group bookings, and through scheduled charges ahead of arrival. Each method stores a token for the rest of the stay. See hotel deposits for deposit timing and refund rules.