Sending a payment request in Mews Operations is a friendly and efficient way to remind customers that they owe you money. Once they receive the payment request email, they can pay instantly with their card.

Payment links in reminders:

• Every reminder email includes a payment link.
• You can send reminders individually or in bulk. For single invoice reminders, Mews attaches the link in the email body and attached invoice.
• When you send multiple invoices in one reminder, each PDF attachment includes its own payment link.

Learn more about How to customize the Invoice reminder email to include a payment request link.

Note:

• The invoice reminder and payment request links on invoices functionality is only available if you check the following in the Accounting configuration,
  • Receivable tracking enabled box under Options
  • Add payment request link (active up to 30 days after invoice due date) box under Invoice payment request configuration
• Only properties using the Mews Payments gateway can send payment requests. Learn more in our help article Which Mews Payments integration is used for Payment requests?
• You can learn more about sending invoices to be paid via email here.

In this article you can learn about:

• How to send a payment request 
• Receiving payments
  • If the payment is successful
  • If the payment fails
• Viewing all your payment requests

How to send a payment request

Note: Mews automatically sends payment requests for payments from the Mews Booking Engine and the Guest Portal. This is because the guest interacts with these systems directly, and expects to make payment. 

To send a payment request to a customer:

1. Open the customer's profile. To do so, in Mews Operations:

• • type the name of the customer or company in the Mews search bar.

2. Click on the Billing tab, then click the relevant bill.
3. Click Process payment.

4. Mews displays the Process payment side-window.

5. Click Payment request.
6. Fill in the relevant fields and click Submit.

7. Mews sends the customer an email prompting them to pay the payment request.

Once Mews sends the payment link, the system,

• displays the Pending status alongside the expiry date and Payment request payment type on the bill.

Note:

• The system only displays the Close bill option on the bill once the customer makes the payment.
• If the payment request link expires, Mews changes the status to Payment request expired on the bill.

You can also send a payment request to a customer from the Payments tab in the customer's profile. To do so,

1. Go to the Payments tab.

2. In the Payment requests section, click + Payment request. 

3. Fill in the relevant fields:

   • Link the payment request to bill: Click the dropdown to select which bill this payment request should take payment for. You can choose from Owned or Associated bills. Note: If you do not want to take payment for an existing bill, click Create new bill to create a new bill for the payment.

   • Reason: Click the dropdown to select a reason for the payment request

   • Select payment methods: Click the dropdown to select the payment methods you use to collect the payment.

   • Amount: Enter the amount of the payment

   • Currency: Click the dropdown to select which currency to use for the payment.

   • Expiration date: Click the dropdown to select the date the payment request should expire.

   • Email: Enter the customers email address to send the payment request to.

   • Message to customer: Enter the message the customer receives with the payment request.

   • Internal note: Enter a note for property staff, if required.

4. Click Submit.

5. Mews sends the customer an email prompting them to pay the payment request.

Receiving payments

Customers can instantly pay the payment request from their email using a payment card.

If the payment is successful

• Mews displays the Completed status alongside the card details and Payment request payment type on the bill.
• Mews creates a task in Mews Operations to inform you of the payment.
• You need to move the payment to an open bill with the relevant bill items.
• If you enable automatic settlement, you need to close the bill with the requested payment to avoid a double charge. 
• If you use a payment request to collect prepayment, you may need to use deposits to balance the prepayment.

If the payment fails

The customer can retry the payment until the request expires.

• If you cancel the payment request: The customer can no longer attempt to pay.
• If the payment request expires: The customer can no longer attempt to pay.

Viewing all your payment requests

1. In Mews Operations, go to the main menu  > Finance > Payment report.
2. To filter the report to view payment requests:

• Under Filter, select Payment requests.
• Under Status, select the current state of payment requests you want to see.

• To view only expired payment requests, select Expired.
• To view all payment requests, Select all statuses.

3. Click View report.