HOSPITALITY PAYMENT PROCESSING
Payment Processing for Hotels & Restaurants
Keep service moving and make every guest payment easier. Connect your POS or PMS, bring checkout to the table and manage payments across the entire stay with Clearly Payments.
Talk to a Hospitality Payments ExpertLow processing costs. Same-day or next-day funding for eligible accounts. Human support, 24/7.
One payment partner. Built around the way you serve guests.
The dinner rush and the morning checkout queue need different payment workflows. Both need reliable acceptance, clear costs and a team that answers when something needs attention. Clearly brings the payment technology and merchant services together.
Restaurants, cafés and food service
Connect orders and payments, handle tips and split checks, and let guests settle at the table. Extend the same operation to online orders, pickup, kiosks and busy counters.
Hotels, resorts and lodging groups
Connect reservations and guest folios to deposits, pre-authorizations, incidentals and final payment. Bring room charges, outlets and property reporting into the payment plan.
Restaurant payments that keep service moving
Your staff should be looking after guests, not retyping bills or chasing a payment terminal. Clearly connects restaurant POS and payment workflows so an order, a check and a settled payment stay connected.
Connect the order to the payment
With integrated payments, the POS sends the amount to the terminal and receives the payment result. Staff spend less time keying amounts and matching receipts. Semi-integrated options keep card entry on the payment device while the POS manages the sale.
Choose a setup that supports your menus, modifiers, table layout, reservations, staff and kitchen workflow. talech and Clover are current Clearly POS options. We also connect payments to existing restaurant systems, including Squirrel, through our integration portfolio.
Bring checkout to the table
Take the terminal to your guests instead of carrying cards back to a counter. Portable and wireless payments cut unnecessary server trips, keep the card with the guest and make the last part of the meal feel as considered as the first.
A Clover Flex or another suitable wireless terminal brings chip-and-PIN, contactless cards and mobile wallets to the table. Guests can add a tip and pay without leaving their seat, helping your team close checks and turn tables more efficiently.
01
Order & serve
Keep the check connected to the POS.
02
Split the check
Allocate the bill before taking payment.
03
Add the tip
Present clear, configurable tip choices.
04
Pay at the table
Accept card or wallet payments with the guest.
05
Settle & reconcile
Connect paid checks with settlement reporting.
Make tipping clear for guests and staff
Use suggested percentages, a custom amount or dollar-based tips with prompts configured for your service style. Associate payments and tips with the appropriate employee or server, then use tip reporting to support the close of shift.
Your team gets a clearer record of what was paid and tipped. Guests get straightforward choices at the point of payment.
Handle the table that wants to pay separately
Split a check by guest, item or amount in the restaurant POS, then collect the individual payments. Take multiple cards or a mix of payment methods while keeping the remaining balance visible.
Match the split-check setup to the way your servers work so large tables do not become a manual reconciliation problem.
Keep the line moving at the counter and online
For quick-service restaurants, cafés and pickup counters, integrated checkout and contactless payments reduce unnecessary payment steps. Connect online ordering, kiosks and self-service acceptance with the operation behind the counter, rather than creating another isolated sales channel.
Customers can place an online order, collect at the restaurant or pay through a self-service flow. Your team can follow the order and payment status through the chosen POS. Explore restaurant POS options or connect online payments.
Turn a good visit into the next visit
Give guests a reason to return with gift cards and loyalty programmes built into your payment and POS setup. Sell gifts that can be redeemed on a future visit, reward regulars and create promotions that fit your business.
For restaurant groups, connect participating locations so a guest relationship does not end at one till. Track gift-card activity and loyalty use alongside sales, giving managers a better view of the programmes that bring customers back.
A RESTAURANT CUSTOMER’S EXPERIENCE
“I’ve been looking into ways I can save on costs at my restaurant. Clearly Payments saved me $600 per month and I get my funds in less than one day. It’s been a breeze.”
Review Your Restaurant Payment SetupHotel payments that follow the whole guest stay
A hotel payment is more than a card at reception. Clearly connects reservation payments, deposits, authorizations and final capture with your property-management workflow. Your front desk gets the tools to manage a stay before the final bill is known.
PMS-integrated payments connect the reservation and folio with the payment result. This reduces duplicate entry, makes holds and charges easier to trace and gives staff a clearer view at check-in and checkout.
Connect payments with hospitality platforms such as IQware and Maestro. We plan the connection around your PMS version, guest folio and reservation workflow. See hospitality integration options.
01
Reserve
Collect a deposit or arrange the booking guarantee.
02
Authorize
Pre-authorize the expected stay and incidentals.
03
Serve the guest
Record room charges and outlet purchases.
04
Adjust
Increase the authorization for agreed additional charges.
05
Capture
Collect the final amount at checkout.
06
Reconcile
Match folio, payments, settlement and deposits.
Secure the stay before the final bill is known
At check-in, pre-authorize the estimated room amount and an agreed allowance for incidentals. A pre-authorization places a temporary hold on available funds; it is not the same as collecting the final payment.
As the guest adds nights, services or other authorized charges, incremental authorization lets you request an increase to the approved amount. At checkout, capture the final bill and reverse unused authorization amounts. The guest’s bank controls when released funds become available again.
Clearly supports pre-authorization, incremental authorization and final capture as part of the hotel payment setup. Your team can manage changes without treating every additional charge as an unrelated transaction.
Connect the room, restaurant, spa and activities
Give guests a connected stay with room-charge and cross-outlet workflows. Post eligible restaurant, bar, spa, shop or activity purchases to the guest folio, or take payment at the outlet when that is the better experience.
Keep the distinction between a folio posting and a completed card payment clear in your systems. Connected records help the front desk settle the right balance and help finance avoid chasing separate outlet receipts.
Keep the payment credential useful between booking and arrival
Tokenized card-on-file lets your payment system use a secure reference for authorized later payments instead of storing raw card details in reservation notes. Use it for deposits, balances, agreed extras and returning guests.
If a card expires or is replaced before a later payment is due, account updater refreshes eligible stored credentials through participating card programmes. That means fewer avoidable declines and less front-desk time asking guests to provide the same payment information again.
Collect OTA virtual-card payments with less friction
Reservations from online travel agencies can arrive with virtual payment credentials rather than the guest’s own card. Clearly supports OTA virtual-card processing so your team can collect the booking payment through the appropriate payment flow.
Charge the virtual card within the OTA’s permitted dates, amount and currency, then match it to the reservation. Keep guest-paid incidentals separate from the OTA-funded booking amount. A clearer process reduces declined collection attempts and makes the booking easier to reconcile.
Take the booking, deposit or event payment before guests arrive
Make it easy to move an enquiry into a confirmed booking. Clearly supports online reservation payments, eCommerce, payment APIs and pay-by-link alongside your front-desk or restaurant setup.
A direct route to online payment
Connect the payment step to your website or booking engine with eCommerce payments and integrations. A branded Hosted Payment Page collects card details on the hosted checkout, giving you an online payment option without building your own card-entry environment.
Send a payment link after a telephone enquiry or use a Virtual Terminal for an authorized assisted payment. Staff can process the reservation payment from an internet-connected computer without dedicated phone-payment hardware.
Collect event deposits and balances on schedule
Weddings, conferences, banquets and group stays often involve several payments. Collect the deposit, set an agreed payment schedule and collect the remaining balance through authorized card-on-file, pay-by-link or an online invoice.
Use scheduled payment tools for instalment-style arrangements and repeat bookings. Keep receipts and booking references connected so your events team can see what has been paid before the event begins.
Welcome international guests with a familiar way to pay
Accept major international cards and digital wallets, then choose currency options around your guests and your operating accounts. Clearly supports multi-currency payments and Dynamic Currency Conversion for hospitality.
Let the guest choose their home currency
With DCC enabled, eligible international cardholders can choose to pay in their home currency. The payment flow shows the local and home-currency amounts, exchange rate and conversion charges. The choice stays with the guest. How DCC works.
Match pricing and settlement to the business
Multi-currency pricing, DCC and the currency deposited into your bank account are different parts of the setup. Clearly helps configure the right combination so overseas bookings are easier to accept and finance can understand the resulting settlement.
Protect the booking, the payment and your revenue
Authenticate remote bookings
Use 3DS2 cardholder authentication and fraud controls for online reservations and card-not-present sales. AVS, CVV checks and transaction rules help identify suspicious activity while keeping genuine bookings moving. Match the controls to online orders, deposits and higher-value hotel bookings.
Reduce exposure to card details
Point-to-point encryption protects card data between capture at the payment device and secure decryption. Tokenization supports later authorized payments without putting raw card credentials into your POS, PMS or staff notes. PCI scope benefits depend on the validated solution and the rest of your payment environment.
Respond to disputes with better records
Clearly’s chargeback-management support helps your team respond to fraud, cancellation, no-show and service disputes. Connect the payment to the booking terms, receipts and guest communications so a response is supported by the relevant evidence. See what supports a chargeback response.
Handle changes without losing the payment trail
Look up the original transaction for full or partial refunds, booking changes and appropriate payment adjustments. Use authorization reversals for unused holds rather than treating every change as a refund of captured funds. Keep the result visible in transaction and settlement reporting so staff and finance see the same story.
See the whole group without losing the property detail
Clearly supports multi-location restaurant groups and multi-property hotel operations with centralized management and reporting. Standardize the payment approach while retaining the detail managers need for each restaurant, outlet or property.
View transaction and settlement activity across the business, then drill into the location or operating unit responsible. Consistent equipment, payment workflows and reporting help new locations adopt a familiar setup instead of adding another disconnected process.
Planning a larger rollout or a complex systems connection? Explore Enterprise payment processing.
Reconcile sales, folios and bank deposits automatically
Automated reconciliation connects POS sales or PMS activity with payments, tips, deposits, refunds, settlement batches and fees. Match what the business recorded with what was processed and what reached the bank.
Your finance team spends less time matching transactions by hand and more time resolving genuine exceptions. Booking and location references make differences easier to investigate instead of leaving staff to compare unrelated spreadsheets.
Keep payments working through the rush and the overnight shift
Build a plan for a lost connection
Connectivity failover and offline-capable payment configurations give you options when the primary connection is interrupted. Clearly helps plan the devices, backup connectivity and operating process for your service environment.
Offline acceptance is different from an online issuer approval. Offline transactions are subject to device and transaction limits and can still be declined when submitted after reconnection. We configure the offline approach around your service needs and transaction risk.
Reach a person, 24/7
A checkout problem does not wait for Monday morning. Get human payment support 24/7 for your restaurant, front desk or wider operation, including evenings, weekends and overnight service.
Implementation help and equipment/replacement programmes support your team beyond the initial sale. We help with the payment setup, staff workflow and practical next steps when a device needs attention.
Keep more of the sale. Get your funds sooner.
Food, staffing and property costs put enough pressure on the business. Clearly focuses on low processing costs with modern payment technology, so better payments also make financial sense.
Our Cost Analysis & Optimization service reviews statements, transaction mix and payment workflows to identify avoidable costs. Compare Cost Plus with Membership pricing for Canadian businesses and choose the model that fits your operation. Explore pricing options.
Compare Your Hospitality Processing CostsSame-day or next-day funding
Get faster access to processed funds with same-day or next-day funding options for eligible merchant accounts. Put receipts to work against supplier bills, payroll and day-to-day operating commitments.
Bring your volume, card mix, locations and current statements to the conversation. We will put the payment tools, funding schedule and pricing together in a proposal for your business.
Hospitality payment processing questions
Can Clearly connect to the POS or PMS we already use?
Yes. Clearly offers integrated and semi-integrated payments for restaurant POS and hotel PMS environments. We review your system, version, devices and payment workflow to plan the connection. Our current integration portfolio includes hospitality systems such as IQware and Maestro, plus restaurant options including talech, Clover and Squirrel.
How do tableside payments work with tipping and split checks?
The server brings a portable payment device to the table. The POS handles the check allocation and the terminal presents payment and tip choices. Guests can use different cards or payment methods while staff keep the remaining balance connected to the original check. The guest’s card stays with them.
Is a hotel pre-authorization the same as a charge?
No. A pre-authorization is a temporary hold, not a captured payment. Incremental authorization requests an increase when the agreed amount changes. Final capture collects the completed bill. Unused authorizations should be reversed through the payment workflow; the card issuer determines when the guest sees funds released.
Can we collect deposits and later event or booking balances?
Yes. Use pay-by-link, online invoices or reservation payments for the initial deposit. Collect authorized later balances through tokenized card-on-file or an agreed scheduled-payment plan. This works well for group stays, banquets, weddings and recurring event bookings without storing raw card numbers in booking notes.
What happens if a stored card expires before arrival?
Account updater refreshes eligible stored credentials through participating card programmes when an expiry date or card number changes. Combined with tokenized card-on-file, it helps reduce avoidable failures on later authorized payments. A payment link also gives the guest a direct way to settle a balance.
Can you process virtual cards from online travel agencies?
Yes. Clearly supports OTA virtual-card processing for the booking payments associated with those credentials. Follow the OTA’s permitted charge dates, amount and currency, then link the payment to the reservation. Guest incidentals and extras should remain separate from the OTA-funded amount.
Can payments continue if the internet connection drops?
Clearly supports connectivity failover and offline-capable configurations. The right approach depends on the devices and payment setup. Offline transactions are stored for later submission rather than guaranteed online approvals, so transaction limits and the risk of a later decline still matter.
How quickly do we receive funds, and what will processing cost?
Clearly offers same-day or next-day funding options for eligible merchant accounts. Pricing reflects your transaction volume, payment channels and setup. Compare the published pricing models or bring statements for a cost review. Your proposal brings equipment, integrations, funding and processing charges together.
Make payments a better part of your hospitality business
Tell us about your restaurant or property, the systems you use and the payment problems you want to solve. We will help you build a payment setup that serves guests well and makes the numbers work.
Talk to a Hospitality Payments Expert