Planet Payments is a payment provider integrated with Avantio Payments. To start using it, the company must complete a commercial proposal, a verification and risk analysis process, and a guided setup before the go-live date.
What will you learn in this article?
You’ll learn what information you need to prepare, how the onboarding process works, how Planet becomes available in Avantio Payments, and how the first and second payments for bookings are processed.
Advantages
Native integration with Avantio Payments.
Compatible with payment automations.
Local currency payments via MCP, where available.
Alternative payment methods depending on market and contract.
Manage payments and refunds from the VRMS without displaying full card details.
When should you use this feature?
You should use Planet Payments once your account has been approved and activated, and you want to charge web bookings or bookings from channels that include card data compatible with processing from Avantio.
Before you start
It’s a good idea to check beforehand:
That Planet is available in your company’s country.
That the commercial proposal and contract have been accepted.
That the company can provide corporate, banking, and beneficial owner documentation.
That you have approximate data on transactions, refunds, chargebacks, maximum booking amount, and cancellation policy.
That you’ve decided who will manage the Planet back office and who will set up Avantio Payments.
It’s also recommended to identify existing bookings whose cards were tokenized with the previous provider, as those tokens will not be transferred to Planet.
Follow these steps
Contact your Account Manager and confirm service availability.
Review and sign the personalized commercial proposal.
Submit the requested documentation: company registration details, date and proof of incorporation, beneficiaries with more than 25%, ID and address documents, and a bank statement showing the bank, IBAN, BIC, and account holder.
Provide the required operational information for the risk profile: proportion of in-person and remote transactions, estimated volume, refunds, chargebacks, maximum booking amount, and main cancellation policy.
Wait for documentation validation and account creation.
Receive your Planet back office credentials and complete the training.
In Avantio, go to Configuration > Payments > Avantio Payments and check that Planet appears as an available or connected provider.
Set up payment conditions and automations according to your operations.
Run a controlled test before going live and review the result in both Avantio and the Planet back office.
How payments are processed
First payment for web bookings: charged automatically when the booking comes in from the web, according to your setup and applicable conditions.
Second payment for web bookings: can be charged manually using the payment button or automatically if the relevant automation is enabled.
Channel Manager bookings with card data: can be charged manually or automatically when the channel provides compatible data and automation is active.
Refunds: requested from the available options in Avantio; full card details are not shown in the VRMS.
Expected result
Once setup is complete, Planet will be available as a provider in Avantio Payments. Payments will be processed according to your defined conditions and automations, and you’ll be able to monitor the status of operations from Avantio and the reports in the Planet back office.
Recommended next steps
Review your first bookings to make sure amounts and payment dates are applied correctly.
Confirm when funds are received in your bank account according to the agreed schedule; the documentation provided indicates a T+2 days reference, which should be validated in your proposal.
Check the status of transactions, refunds, and errors in both systems.
Only adjust automations after validating several real cases and documenting exceptions.
Main fields and options
Field or option | Description |
Payment provider | Select Planet when the account is activated. |
Automation | Set whether subsequent payments are processed automatically or manually. |
Payment conditions | Determine amounts, percentages, and dates for each payment. |
MCP / local currency | Allows you to offer payment in the guest’s local currency when available. |
Payment methods | Depend on the country, contract, and enabled configuration. |
Planet back office | Lets you access tools, reports, and operational details of transactions. |
Bank account | Account validated during onboarding where funds will be received. |
Limitations and considerations
Card tokens stored by another provider are not transferred to Planet.
For existing bookings, you may need to charge outside the system or request card details again to tokenize them with Planet.
Full card numbers and CVC codes are not visible in the VRMS.
The ability to charge a channel booking depends on the channel providing compatible card data.
Alternative payment methods and MCP may not be available in all markets.
Do not make mass changes to automations without first reviewing conditions, dates, and amounts.
Best practices
Set up simple payment rules that match your booking and cancellation policies.
Test with controlled amounts before enabling automations for all bookings.
Check the result in Avantio and in the Planet back office after every major change.
Document which cases need to be charged manually and who is responsible for managing them.
Regularly check for failed payments, refunds, chargebacks, and bookings pending payment.
Never request card details through insecure channels; always use authorized flows.
Practical example
An agency automatically charges 30% when a web booking is confirmed and the remaining 70% 30 days before arrival.
After activating Planet, they set up the first condition for the automatic initial payment and a second automation for the outstanding balance.
Before applying it to all bookings, run a test, check the dates, and review the transaction status in Avantio and Planet.
Common errors
Planet doesn’t appear in Avantio Payments: check that onboarding and activation are complete.
Automatic payment isn’t processed: review the automation, payment condition, scheduled date, and booking status.
The amount doesn’t match: check percentages, fixed amounts, taxes, extras, and previous payments.
Can’t charge a channel booking: verify that the channel sent compatible card data and that the card is tokenized in Planet.
An old card isn’t available: remember that tokens from the previous provider are not migrated.
Expected payment method doesn’t appear: check availability for the market and your contracted setup.
If something isn’t working
Before contacting the customer support team:
Check that Planet is shown as connected and that your setup is saved.
Verify the booking status, payment conditions, and scheduled payment date.
Review the outstanding amount, currency, and payment method.
Check the transaction status in the Planet back office.
See if the card belongs to a booking made before switching providers.
Refresh the page and check the result again.
If the problem persists, contact Customer Experience and include screenshots, booking reference, affected property, amount, currency, scheduled payment date, error message, and visible status in the back office. Do not include full card numbers or CVC codes.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I switch from another provider to Planet?
What happens if I switch from another provider to Planet?
Cards tokenized with the previous provider are not transferred automatically. For existing bookings, you’ll need to charge through another authorized method or request the card details again using a secure flow to tokenize it with Planet.
Can I see full card details in Avantio?
Can I see full card details in Avantio?
No. Full card details and CVC are not visible in the VRMS. From Avantio, you can carry out enabled payment or refund operations.
Is the second payment charged automatically?
Is the second payment charged automatically?
Only when you have set up and activated the corresponding automation. You can also process the payment manually from Avantio.
Can I charge bookings from channels?
Can I charge bookings from channels?
Yes, when the channel provides compatible card data and your configuration allows you to process them. Availability may vary depending on the channel and the booking.
Where can I find payment reports?
Where can I find payment reports?
You can check the operational status in Avantio and use the tools and reports available in the Planet back office, for which you’ll receive credentials during onboarding.
Editorial note: please confirm the exact list of countries, available payment methods by market, applicable settlement period, and final Avantio menu paths before publishing.