How to Process a Future Stay Credit for Canceled Reservations
Learn the step-by-step process of handling future stay credits for canceled reservations, including invoice adjustments and customer communication.
In this guide, we'll learn how to process a future stay credit for a canceled reservation. This involves updating the invoice to reflect the credit, ensuring accurate documentation, and maintaining clear communication with the guest. The process includes revising the invoice details, adjusting the payment notation, and confirming the credit's application. We'll also cover how to manage the documentation and communicate the changes effectively. This guide will help ensure that the credit is properly recorded and communicated, providing a clear paper trail for future reference.
Let's get started
I'll demonstrate how to process a future stay credit.
This is an example where someone canceled their stay a month ago. I'm just now finding the time to sit down and document it.
I've been holding onto it for that purpose. With the new month, it's time to get it done. He canceled with enough notice, so I'm giving him a year's credit. His stay was scheduled for June 14th, and today is March 1st.
He canceled on February 2nd, over four months in advance. While we don't have a written rule about future stay credits, it's based on judgment. There are guidelines to follow. If the cancellation is within a month, they won't get a refund unless we rebook. This is our standard policy. However, we can offer a future stay credit to satisfy customers. I'm giving him a future stay credit and will now show you how to handle the invoice portion.
As soon as his dates were available for online booking, I removed them from the book, effectively canceling it at that time. However, I didn't update the invoice. That's what we'll do now. First, copy the cabin and the date range.
You don't need any parenthetical statements; just the cabin and date range.
You can now proceed to delete each line.
After that, create a new line using the canceled or future stay item.
This automatically populates the notation here.
Remove the first set of underscores and insert the cancellation date, February 2nd, 2025. For the second set, remove it and paste the cabin and date range you copied.
If you forgot to copy it, you should still have the original cabin and date range noted in the memo at the bottom left.
You can copy it now or type it in. The original booking was made on.
Remove the underscores and enter the booking date, which is located above.
Next, it says to contact us before the invoice date. Enter the date you've set for the invoice. Let's adjust that.
I told him I would give him a year. I'm dating the invoice a year after his cancellation. He canceled on February 2, 2025, so I'm dating his credit invoice for February 2, 2026. I'll enter that date where the underscores are.
It reiterates at the final set of underscores.
You can read the entire memo if you wish and refer back to it anytime. Next, we'll change the rate, which is currently $0, to match the deposit amount he paid.
Look at the bottom right. Notice it says the payment applied was $957.
Type in "50" and click off the line to register it. You will then see a total of $957 at the bottom.
Payment supplied: $957.50. Balance due: $0. The invoice is dated for next year, and the first line indicates that the payment is from a canceled reservation.
Copy the entire first line and replace the line in the lower left memo with it: "a future state deposit from statement."
You can save and close.
Click "Do Not Send." Next, locate the payment applied to the invoice, usually found right below it.
In this case, we will simply change the notation from the cabin name onward.
It will still display as "card point deposit," but you need to paste in the new notation, then save and close.
On the main account screen, you can see the reason for our actions.
Always double-check the credit to ensure everything is correct with the notations. Verify that the balance due is zero and the payment is applied. Ensure it is set to non-taxable, which should happen automatically due to the canceled or future stay item.
You can make the invoice non-taxable.
We prefer to do that. It doesn't affect the balance, but it does impact reports. Since the line was untaxable, the invoice couldn't tax that line, even if set to taxable.
You can print a copy and staple it to the front of all his paperwork. Then, place it in a folder labeled "Undefined Future Stays," located near the front of the drawer with all the reservation materials.
Click on "Email," then go to "Signature." There, you'll find a cancellation notification.
I would typically change the word "confirmation" in the subject line to "cancellation."
Scroll down. Replace the first set of underscores with his name. Then, type in the invoice/expiration date twice, once here and once here.
We emphasize the expiration date so they can't claim ignorance. Normally, you would send it, but I'm not sending it because I've already spoken with this person extensively, and I know he's fine.
He understands the credit. I already sent him a version and waited until now to create this document. I hope it was helpful.
