This article explains how your systems are configured to handle payment gateway responses, helping you troubleshoot guest payment issues and understand booking outcomes. The CRS logs the communications it receives from the payment gateway for account reconciliation as well as researching specific queries.
📌Note: Payment behavior may vary depending on your specific gateway configuration and the guest's bank.
Payment gateway success response
Outlined below are the responses expected for when cards have successfully worked.
System receives: Payment approved confirmation from the payment gateway.
Booking engine response: Creates booking automatically and displays confirmation page with booking details.
Voice application response: Confirms booking immediately during call.
Booking status: Confirmed.
Payment gateway decline response
Outlined below are the responses expected for when a card has declined.
System receives: Payment declined by the payment gateway.
Booking engine response: Displays payment declined error message with option to retry, no booking created.
Voice application response: Notifies agent of payment decline during call.
Booking status: Not created.
System behavior: Decline attempt logged with response code and error message but no charge made. Guest can retry immediately.
Common reasons cards are declined:
Insufficient funds.
Card expired or not yet activated.
Incorrect card details entered.
Bank blocked the transaction for security.
Card not enabled for online/international purchases.
Daily spending limit reached.
Billing address or other entered data not matched.
📌Note: The system doesn't provide specific decline reasons to protect guest privacy.
3D Secure authentication if enabled
Outlined below is the process that happens with 3D secured authentication.
System receives: Redirect URL for bank verification from the payment gateway.
Booking engine response: Redirects guest to their bank's verification page, booking status pending until completed.
Voice application response: N/A - phone transactions don't require 3D Secure verification.
Booking status: Pending until verification completed and this is indicated on the screen.
Additional processing: 3DS authentication status logged. System waits for bank's response.
After successful verification: Booking confirmed automatically.
After failed/cancelled verification: No booking created, guest returned to booking engine with Authentication failed message.
Gateway connectivity timeout
Outlined below is the process that happens when the gateway connectivity is timed out.
System receives: No response from the payment gateway within timeout period.
Booking engine response: Displays "Payment timed out" error message after automatic retry attempts.
Voice application response: Payment processing fails, no booking created.
Booking status: Not created.
System behavior: Automatically retries up to 3 times before showing error. Timeout events and retry attempts logged.
📌Note: Payment may have been processed on gateway side despite communication failure. Check the logs on the payment gateway to confirm if needed.
Payment success with booking creation failure
Outlined below is the process that happens when the payment is successful with booking creation failure.
System receives: Payment approved confirmation from the payment gateway.
System response: Payment authorization succeeds but booking creation process fails.
Booking engine response: Displays error message after completing bank verification.
Voice application response: Payment accepted but booking fails to save.
Booking status: Not created.
Result: Guest has payment authorization but no booking exists in system.
System tracking: Check the logs on the payment gateway along with the CRS to confirm if needed.
Common causes documented:
Room sold out during the verification process and or 3DS verification.
Booking session timed out during bank verification.
Booking failed a business rule validation.
Guest closed browser after payment but before confirmation.
Abandoned payment verification
Outlined below is the process that happens when the payment verification is abandoned.
System receives: Guest abandons 3D Secure verification process.
Booking engine response: No booking created - guest must start over.
Voice application response: N/A - phone bookings don't use 3D Secure.
Booking status: Not created.
System behavior: Immediate abandonment results in no booking creation.
Refund processing – if enabled
Outlined below is the process that happens when refund processing is enabled.
System receives: Refund request initiated by a change to the reservation through booking engine or voice application.
System response: Credit transaction sent to the payment gateway for funds released to guest's original payment method.
Booking engine response: Displays refund confirmation.
Voice application response: Confirms refund processed.
Booking status: Updated to reflect cancellation or modification.
System tracking: Refund amount, date, and transaction ID logged.
📌Note: Payment links via email are supported by various payment gateways. When a guest receives a payment link by email, they have a limited time to complete payment. The expiration date is set when the link is created. If the guest doesn't pay in time and auto-cancellation is enabled, the booking will be cancelled automatically with the reason payment link expired.
System configuration summary
Outlined is the system configuration summary.
Payment Gateway Response | Booking Engine Action | Voice Application Action | Booking Result |
Payment approved | Creates booking, shows confirmation page | Confirms booking on call | Confirmed |
Payment declined | Shows Payment declined error with retry option | Notifies decline on call | Pending |
3D Secure required | Redirects to bank verification page | Not applicable | Not created |
Verification failed | Returns to booking with Authentication failed | Not applicable | Not created |
Gateway timeout | Shows Payment timed out after three retries | Processing fails on call | Not created |
Payment OK, booking fails | Shows error after bank verification | Booking fails on call | Not created |
Payment abandoned | No booking created | Not applicable | Not created |
Payment gateway logs in the CRS
Outlined below is information on the communication logs of the payment gateway.
Payment gateway communication logs: Access through Chain Manager menu of the CRS for routine reconciliation or further research by property or chain. If you don't have access to these logs, contact your system administrator or open a support case.