Manage card data securely and in compliance with regulations
Until early 2021, Receptio – PCI Wallet allowed you to receive and view guests’ credit and debit card details in Avantio, so you could process payments manually later on.
However, changes in European payment regulations made this model unsuitable for agencies registered in the European Economic Area (EEA).
For this reason, PCI Wallet has been deprecated since January 2021 for agencies in the EEA. If you still have this service, the recommended alternative is to use a payment gateway integrated with Avantio Payments, which lets you manage payments more securely, automatically, and in line with current regulations.
What will you learn in this article?
You’ll learn how Receptio – PCI Wallet worked, what its advantages and limitations were, how to view card data, and why we now recommend using a payment platform integrated with Avantio Payments.
Advantages
While it was available, PCI Wallet allowed you to:
Receive card data from portals like Vrbo, Booking.com, or Expedia.
View card details directly from the booking in Avantio VRMS.
Access card information for a limited period after the guest’s check-out.
Important: These advantages refer to the historical operation of the module. PCI Wallet is deprecated for agencies registered in the European Economic Area.
When should you use this feature?
We do not currently recommend using PCI Wallet.
Historically, this module was used when an agency needed to receive credit card details from portals like Vrbo, Booking.com, or Expedia and did not have another payment gateway integrated with Avantio Payments.
Payments were not processed through PCI Wallet: they had to be made manually using a physical card terminal or a virtual POS provided by the bank.
If your agency currently operates in the European Economic Area, you must use a payment solution that complies with current regulations.
Before you start
If you still have PCI Wallet active, it’s a good idea to check the following first:
Whether your company is registered in the European Economic Area.
Which payment gateway you currently use to process payments.
Whether your accommodations and booking conditions are already set up to work with a platform integrated with Avantio Payments.
It’s also a good idea to plan your migration to an integrated gateway before changing any payment-related settings.
Follow these steps
The following steps describe how PCI Wallet worked historically for accounts where it may still be available.
Access the booking
Go to
VRMS → Bookings → Bookings listand open the booking you want to view.You can do this in two ways:
Select the booking and, from the side window, click “Edit”.
Go to the Full view of the booking and select “Edit”.
Go to the payment breakdown
In the booking details, find the “Booking Payment Breakdown” section and click “View card”.
Set up access the first time
The first time you access:
Allow pop-ups for app.avantio.com if your browser blocks them.
Click the relevant box to create your PIN code.
Fill out the Syspay form.
In “Business Details – Company/Trading name”, enter your company name.
In “Connection details”, set a four-digit PIN.
View the card details
Go back to the booking, click “View card”, and enter the PIN you set up earlier.
You’ll be able to see the available card details for that booking and its expiry date.
Expected result
If your account still has PCI Wallet, you’ll be able to temporarily view card details received through compatible channels and use them to process payments manually with your card terminal or POS.
Remember that PCI Wallet does not process payments directly.
Recommended next steps
After identifying how payments were managed with PCI Wallet, we recommend reviewing your current payment setup and migrating to a gateway integrated with Avantio Payments.
Check which payment providers are available for your account and market.
Review your booking conditions to make sure payments are set up correctly.
Whenever possible, use solutions that allow you to automate payments and apply authentication mechanisms like 3DS.
Limitations and considerations
Keep in mind that:
PCI Wallet has been deprecated since January 2021 for agencies registered in the European Economic Area.
The module stored and displayed card data, but did not process payments automatically.
Payments had to be processed manually using a physical card terminal or a virtual POS.
PCI Wallet did not request 3DS authentication, so transactions could carry a higher risk of fraud or chargebacks.
The CVC/CVV code could only be viewed once and was available for up to seven days after check-out.
Card data remained available for up to 14 days after the booking’s check-out.
To use this system, the payment mode “Credit card charged manually” had to be active in
Bookings → Booking Conditions.
Best practices
Check if you still have any settings linked to PCI Wallet in your account.
Make sure your accommodations are currently using a payment gateway compatible with Avantio Payments.
Prioritize solutions that allow you to automate and authenticate payments.
Avoid relying on manual processes to handle sensitive card information.
Regularly review your payment method settings to ensure they meet applicable regulatory requirements.
Case study
Challenge:
An agency used PCI Wallet to receive cards from different portals and then process payments through their bank’s POS terminal.
Analysis:
This system required the team to process each payment manually and did not include 3DS authentication, increasing the risk associated with transactions.
Strategic decision:
The agency migrated to a payment gateway integrated with Avantio Payments and set up their booking conditions to manage payments through the new platform.
Expected result:
Payments can now be managed in a more automated, secure way that complies with current regulations.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still use Receptio – PCI Wallet?
Can I still use Receptio – PCI Wallet?
If your agency is registered in the European Economic Area, PCI Wallet is deprecated and should not be used as a payment solution.
We recommend migrating to a gateway integrated with Avantio Payments.
Did PCI Wallet process payments automatically?
Did PCI Wallet process payments automatically?
No. PCI Wallet allowed you to receive and view card details, but payments had to be processed manually using a physical card terminal or a virtual POS provided by the bank.
What was the difference between PCI Wallet and a payment gateway?
What was the difference between PCI Wallet and a payment gateway?
An integrated gateway lets you process payments directly and can include authentication mechanisms like 3DS.
PCI Wallet, on the other hand, only allowed you to view card details so you could process the payment manually later. Since it didn’t include 3DS, this process could carry a higher risk of fraud and chargebacks.
How long could card details be viewed?
How long could card details be viewed?
Card details remained available for up to 14 days after check-out. The CVC/CVV code could only be viewed once and up to seven days after check-out.
What should I do if I still have PCI Wallet set up?
What should I do if I still have PCI Wallet set up?
Check which payment gateways are available for your account and plan your migration to a platform integrated with Avantio Payments. This will let you manage payments more securely, automatically, and in line with applicable regulations.