Taking card payments at your front desk shouldn't require clunky extra hardware or complicated machines. With NightsBridge Tap, your NFC-enabled smartphone becomes a fast, secure credit card terminal. Whether a guest is settling their balance at check-in or paying for extra services, you can accept payments in seconds right on your phone.
Here is your step-by-step guide to processing payments, handling same-day reversals, and managing refunds with complete confidence.
What you'll need to get started
To process a tap payment, you'll simply need two devices working together:
- Your computer screen with NightsBridge to open the booking details and generate a secure QR code.
- An NFC-compatible Android smartphone with the NightsBridge Tap app installed to take the guest's payment.
Processing a payment takes less than a minute:
1. Locate and click the 'Tap & Pay' button
If you use our Online Calendar:
Click on the booking to open Booking Details, where you'll find the Tap & Pay button at the bottom of the Account panel.
Alternatively, select Quick View on your NightsBridge Home, click View Booking and Payment Status, and locate Tap & Pay under Payment Transactions.
If you use a PMS or PCBridge: Open Quick View, click on View Booking and Payment Status, and select Tap & Pay.
Via the Booking Details
Click on the booking on your Online Calendar to open the Booking Details.
- The 'Tap & Pay' button is at the bottom of the 'Account' panel, on the Booking Details.
On Home, select 'Quick View'
Locate the booking and click on the 'View Booking and Payment Status' button.
Click the 'Tap & Pay' button (It's within the Payment Transactions section).
2. Confirm (or adjust) the payment amount
The payment details will automatically fill in based on your booking information.
Need to charge a partial payment or add extra charges?
Simply click inside the Amount field and type in the updated total.
3. Generate your QR code
- Click Confirm.
NightsBridge will fetch the details and generate a unique QR code on your computer screen.
You will have 2 minutes to scan it before the count-down timer expires.
4. Scan the QR code with your phone
Open the NightsBridge Tap app on your phone.
- Tap the Scan QR Code text.
- Point your phone's camera at the QR code displayed on your screen to connect your phone directly to that booking.
5. Take the guest's payment
Confirm with your guest that their payment card, smartphone, or smart watch is tap-enabled.
- Present your phone to the guest and point out the transaction amount for them to confirm.
- Ask the guest to tap their card or device against the back, upper-half of your phone.
For the best result, it's recommended that the payment card be tapped on the back, upper-half of the device with NightsBridge Tap.
A confirmation message will display on your phone, and the payment will automatically record on the booking history.
NightsBridge Tap transactions are automatically recorded on the booking.
Transactions can be viewed via the 'View Payment Status & Booking History'.
Made a mistake with an amount or need to cancel a payment right away? You can easily process a payment reversal up until 23:59 on the same day as the original transaction. (This matches standard card machines before they settle automatically at midnight).
How to reverse a payment:
Open the booking details and click View Payment Status & Booking History.
- Identify the transaction you want to undo and click the Reverse card icon.
- Click Reverse.
- Choose one of the three reversal options:
- Full Reversal: Reverses the full amount back to the guest, and your property covers the card fee.
- Reversal LESS card fee: Reverses the original amount minus the card fee, so the cardholder covers the transaction fee.
- Partial Reversal: Type in a custom amount to reverse, with your property covering the card fee.
- and then click Reverse.
- Click Finish. The reversal will be recorded on your Booking & Payment Status page with a red Reversal/Refund flag.
Friendly tip on card fees:
If you choose Reversal LESS card fee, make sure to inform your guests beforehand. It's best practice to update your terms and conditions or cancellation policy to clearly state: "We reserve the right to not refund card fees (transaction costs) in the case of cancellations or other situations where funds need to be reversed back to a credit card".
The reversal transaction will be recorded on NightsBridge.
- It will display on the Booking & Payment Status page and be flagged by the Reversal/Refund status in red.
If the day of the original transaction has passed, a same-day reversal is no longer possible. Because the funds have been paid over by NightsBridge, a refund will need to be processed instead once the payment settles.