Not always.
A booking is definitely confirmed if:
- The booking and its confirmation number can be retrieved from HMS; or
- The hotel has received a confirmation email for the booking with that confirmation number
So, when is a booking with a confirmation number not really confirmed?
This happens when the guest’s payment was not completed or successful.
Typically, when a guest makes a reservation through the hotels’ booking engine, the guest will receive a confirmation email, and the hotel will also receive the guest's booking details in HMS. This is always true if the payment method selected by the guest was Credit/Debit card.
However, if the guests opt for alternative payment methods such as e-wallets, virtual accounts, or e-banking, the payment process must be completed to secure the reservation. The confirmation number is generated before payment is made, hence it is always necessary to verify if the booking exists in HMS or if you have received an email confirmation for the same booking.
Image 1: Pending (unconfirmed) booking with Confirmation number
The screenshot below shows an unfinished transaction. The payment status shows: “Your booking is Pending”, the guest has 15 minutes to complete the payment in order for the booking to be confirmed. If the guest fails to finalise the payment, they won’t receive a booking confirmation email. Consequently, the hotel can't accommodate their arrival because no booking has been made.
Image 2: Confirmed booking with Confirmation Number
The screenshot below is an example of a Confirmed booking. The guest will receive a booking confirmation email containing both their booking and hotel details, indicating a successful reservation. The hotel has been notified of the booking and will expect the guest's arrival.
Confirmed bookings can be retrieved from either the All Reservations or Reservations Calendar page. Don’t forget to update the booking status once the guests arrive at the property.
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Tags: Unconfirmed booking, confirmed booking, confirmation number, pending booking, unfinished payment, payment failure, unfinished transaction, incomplete payment process, booking confirmation email, successful reservation, payment methods, hotel booking engine, hotel website, payment status, secure the reservation, verify the booking