Card Payment and EPOS Costs for Hotels and Guesthouses
Plan for deposits, overseas cards, room balances, pre-authorisations and the connection between payments and your property system.
The short answer
Hotel payment costs depend on when guests pay, which cards they use and who processes each booking. Separate booking deposits, final payments and temporary authorisation holds. Add property-system integration, terminals and online booking costs to the payment budget.
In this guide
Map the payment journey for each booking
Distinguish direct website bookings, telephone bookings, walk-ins and booking-platform reservations. Identify whether a platform collects payment, sends a virtual card or leaves the guest to pay you. Confirm the corresponding fee category with your provider.
Deposits and later balances may be separate payments. A pre-authorisation is different: Dojo’s explanation describes a temporary hold rather than money being collected. Track authorisation, capture and release correctly, and ask which events attract charges in your agreement.
Do not treat a temporary hold as additional sales turnover in the calculator.
A mixed-card hotel example
Fictional month and tariffs. A guesthouse processes £25,000 on one card category at 1.2% and £15,000 on another at 2.2%. It pays £40 for terminals and £30 for a property-system payment connection.
| Component | Monthly cost |
|---|---|
| £25,000 × 1.2% | £300 |
| £15,000 × 2.2% | £330 |
| Terminals and connection | £70 |
| Total listed costs | £700 |
Using 1.2% for all £40,000 would show £480 before fixed charges. The higher-priced category adds £150 to the processing bill in this scenario. Twelve identical months would cost £8,400 for the listed items.
Confirm the property-system connection
- Does the proposed provider support your exact property-management system and version?
- Can deposits, balances and refunds be matched to the correct booking?
- How are pre-authorisation expiry, completion and release handled?
- What happens when a guest changes rooms, extends a stay or uses several cards?
- Who supports the connection, and what happens if it fails during check-in?
Get the functionality and charges in writing. A terminal that accepts cards is not automatically a complete booking-payment integration.
Include seasonality and channel costs
Model a peak month and a quiet month using realistic occupancy and card mix. Fixed software and device charges can continue even when fewer rooms are occupied. Count additional reception, restaurant or bar equipment where needed.
Keep booking-platform commission separate from processing unless the contract clearly bundles the services. If comparing direct bookings with marketplace bookings, include the cost of acquiring and handling direct customers rather than treating commission as entirely avoidable.
Ask about settlement timing, reserves or delayed-payout conditions relevant to advance bookings. These affect cash availability and should be considered separately from fee totals.
Make a hotel-specific comparison
Compare proposals using the same booking channels, card categories and property-system requirements. Use the calculator’s card groups where rates differ, then add each required fixed charge once.
Our Worldpay guide explains quote assessment, and the integration guide helps you investigate retaining a working system. Neither replaces confirmation that a supplier supports your particular hotel configuration.
Common questions
Is a pre-authorisation the same as a deposit payment?
No. A pre-authorisation holds an amount temporarily; a deposit payment collects money. Confirm how each is handled and charged by your provider.
Should I use one rate for all guest payments?
Only if the agreement genuinely prices all relevant transactions that way. Separate card categories and booking channels where charges differ.
Put your own figures to work.
Use the free calculator to organise your costs and keep a report. If something is unclear, you can ask for a free initial review.
No registration required. Calculator entries stay in your open browser page unless you choose to share a report in a review request.
Sources and how to use this guide
Primary references checked on 15 October 2026:
Worked examples are original fictional scenarios, not customer results, market averages or provider quotations. Unless stated otherwise, they use a consistent VAT basis and include only the costs listed. Provider prices, eligibility and terms can change. Check your written agreement before deciding.
Our guides explain costs and comparison methods. They do not rank the whole market or claim hands-on product testing. Source links are references, not a claim of partnership. Read the calculation method and limitations, or about the service.
Related equipment and checkout decisions
Take the next step
Does your trading vary through the year? Use the seasonal card payment cost calculator to total twelve individual months, including quieter periods and the minimum charges you enter.