Manage Your Virtual Card Payments Efficiently
Managing reservations on portals like Booking.com or Expedia often involves working with virtual cards. Understanding how they work allows you to charge efficiently and securely, avoiding mistakes and ensuring a smoother management experience.
What Are Virtual Cards?
A virtual card is a temporary digital credit card generated by the platform so that accommodations can collect guest payments.
In VRMS, you can receive virtual cards for reservations from portals such as Booking.com and Expedia.
Attention to detail
When you receive one of these cards, the guest has already paid the portal, so they are not involved in the payment process.
Each virtual card has a maximum balance that can be charged (usually the total rental amount and, in the case of Booking.com, the cleaning fee as well).
Virtual cards have a validity period and can only be charged during that time frame.
If you try to charge them after the expiration date, the transaction will be declined.
The validity start date usually coincides with the guest’s arrival date.
How to Identify a Virtual Card
There are two ways to recognize them in VRMS:
By the cardholder name: instead of a real name, you’ll see “Booking.com Agent” or “Expedia VirtualCard,” depending on the portal.
By the validity period: real cards display an expiration date, while virtual cards show a date range.
When a booking includes a virtual card, the payment line appears as “Charged by the portal,” similar to statuses like “Pending” or “Paid.”
How to Charge a Virtual Card
Charging a virtual card is as simple as charging any other card stored in the reservation:
If you have payment automations enabled in Avantio Payments, the system will automatically process the charge on the date when the card becomes active.
If the reservation is non-refundable, the charge must be made as soon as you receive it.
Each virtual card has a total or maximum balance that cannot be exceeded.
Attention to detail
If a virtual card has already been charged and a refund is needed, the amount must be refunded to the same card.
Otherwise, the portal may apply additional fees or deductions directly to it.
Managing Changes and Cancellations
It’s crucial to consider one key aspect: Has the virtual card already been charged?
Virtual card already charged: the amount must be refunded to the same card.
If the refund is not issued to the virtual card, the portal may apply a fee, deduction, or hold on it.
Virtual card not yet charged: simply process the cancellation; no charge or refund is necessary.
Common Scenarios in Reservation Modifications
If the guest extends their stay, the portal will update the virtual card balance so you can charge the difference.
If the guest adds extra services, you can request a new card using the Multicard feature and charge the additional amount there.
If the reservation is canceled, proceed with a standard cancellation without charging or refunding the card.
Virtual cards are a practical tool that simplify payment management for reservations from Booking.com and Expedia.
Learning to identify them, respect their validity periods, and correctly handle refunds or modifications will help you avoid mistakes and maintain efficient control of your transactions in VRMS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which portals use virtual cards?
Which portals use virtual cards?
Booking.com and Expedia are the two portals that can send you virtual cards to manage your reservation payments.
Do I need to contact the portals to use virtual cards?
Do I need to contact the portals to use virtual cards?
Yes. To start working with virtual cards on these portals, you must contact them directly. This setup is established through an agreement between your agency and the portal.
What happens if the virtual card is blocked?
What happens if the virtual card is blocked?
If you try to charge a virtual card outside its validity period, the payment will not go through. Always make sure to check the expiration date.
Who makes the initial payment—the guest or the portal?
Who makes the initial payment—the guest or the portal?
If a reservation includes a virtual card, it means the guest has already paid the portal, and the guest is not involved in the charging process.
What if the guest requests additional services?
What if the guest requests additional services?
With the Multicard feature, you can request a new card from the guest and process the corresponding charges there.
Why can’t I charge a Booking.com reservation?
Why can’t I charge a Booking.com reservation?
If you work with Virtual Cards, you must have MOTO (Mail Order / Telephone Order) enabled in your payment gateway. Without it, the charge cannot be processed correctly.