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How to Complete a Check-Out

Quick Check

Standard checkout needs the Room Number and guest's Last Name. Public ACI checkout uses a departure list instead. Most check-outs take under a minute.

This guide helps you complete a guest check-out from the kiosk or front desk screen. When your PMS supports group checkout and you enable it, you can finish linked rooms together. Opera currently reports Group Checkout support. Other PMS providers hide the group checkout flow. When you finish a manual check-out, AVA sends the standard checkout alerts you enabled.

Go to: Welcome → Check Out

Payment on checkout

If your kiosk has a mapped Stripe terminal, Pay opens the terminal payment flow. When terminal mode is off, AVA keeps the gateway or QR payment flow. AVA starts payment status polling as soon as the terminal accepts the payment. When the payment is confirmed, AVA reloads the bill and finishes checkout automatically. If the guest changes cards, AVA cancels the earlier reusable pre-auth after the new payment succeeds. Some properties use a simplified billing summary view. You see visible waived accommodation rows and an Extras separator. Extra items group by code. The Room Charges, Tax, and total remain visible. In detailed billing views, hidden accommodation rows are suppressed. Deposits and Payments show as negative amounts. Hide policies leave the PMS summary balance unchanged. When the PMS evaluates payable billing, AVA uses that payable amount for checkout. The evaluated amount controls the displayed balance and payment request. Billing policies can change displayed rows and the reservation billing result. Matched hide policies mask accommodation and associated tax rows. For Opera, matched waive policies reduce room-package charges and identified room-package components. Pre-arrival projected Opera room charges and their rate-info tax are waived together. Separately posted Opera extras and their taxes can remain payable. For Mews v2, a matching waive policy can clear the full invoice's charge rows. Verified Mews rate-included products, such as bundled breakfast, can follow a matching waiver. Relative-priced charges attached to verified included products can follow that waiver. If AVA cannot prove the classification, it withholds the unverified amount for staff review. An explicit Opera zero balance remains authoritative over visible charge lines. Compare unexpected balances with the PMS before collecting payment. An unmatched policy uses the billing response returned by the PMS. If checkout payment collection is enabled, a positive payable balance can require Pay. If billing is not evaluated for another reason, AVA falls back to the PMS summary or stored balance.

Cloudbeds multi-room billing

For Cloudbeds multi-room stays, AVA loads the correct folio for each room before checkout. Room 2+ can finish payment and checkout with its own sub-reservation.

Quick Reference​

StepWhat it doesWhere it appears
Open Check OutStarts the check-out flowWelcome → Check Out
Choose FlowSwitches between single and group checkoutSingle Checkout or Group Checkout tab
Select RoomFinds the room in the PMS listRoom Number dropdown
Select Departure (ACI)Finds a departure by room, guest, or reservation IDRoom Number search field
Enter Last NameMatches the reservationLast Name field
Return KeyReveals the existing smart-lock PIN when enabledReturn your key panel
PayStarts the payment flow when AVA asks for paymentPay button
ConfirmFinalizes the check-out after payment or when no payment is dueCheck Out button
CompleteShows success and returns to startCheck-Out Completed screen
ACI checkout

Use the public ACI link with mode=aci for staff-assisted checkout. The link loads a departure list, so you select a reservation instead of typing a last name. No browser or device credential is required.

Public-link access

Treat the ACI link as an operational access link. It is not a staff-device security boundary. Share it only with staff who should process departures.

  1. Open the ACI link your hotel admin provided.

  2. Select Check Out.

  3. Click the Room Number search field.

  4. Type a room number, guest name, or reservation ID.

  5. Select the matching departure row.

    ✓ The selected room and reservation appear below the search field.

  6. Select Check Out and complete payment when AVA asks.

If the reservation has multiple rooms, select the room you want to process. After one room completes, AVA removes it from the departure list. Other eligible rooms remain available.

ACI group checkout

Select Group Checkout when your hotel enables it for Assisted Check-In. AVA then shows eligible linked rooms for the selected reservation. AVA shows this option only when your PMS reports support. Opera currently reports support. Other PMS providers hide this option.

Step-by-Step Check-Out​

1. Open the Check Out screen​

  1. On the Welcome screen, select Check Out.

    ✓ The Check Out form appears.

2. Choose your checkout flow​

  1. Select Single Checkout for one reservation.

  2. Select Group Checkout for linked rooms.

    ✓ AVA shows the matching checkout fields for the flow you chose.

If you do not see Group Checkout
  1. Go to Settings → Check-In → Check-In Policy.
  2. Turn on Group Check-Out Availability.
  3. Select Self Check-In mode or Assisted Check-In mode.
  4. Save your changes.
  5. Reload the checkout screen.

If the setting is missing, your PMS has not reported group checkout support. Opera currently reports support. Other PMS providers do not show the setting. See Group checkout option is missing.

3. Select the room number​

  1. Open the Room Number dropdown.
  2. Select the guest's room.
Leading-zero room lookup

If your PMS stores 0301, you can still enter 301 during checkout lookup. AVA checks the exact room first, then one leading-zero match for numeric input.

If the room list is empty

Type the room number manually. The list comes from the PMS and may take a few seconds to load.

If you are using Group Checkout

  1. Select the linked rooms you want to check out.

  2. Use Select All if every room in the group should leave together.

  3. Continue with the same Last Name and Check Out steps.

    ✓ AVA shows the rooms you selected in the checkout result.

4. Enter the last name​

  1. Enter the guest's Last Name exactly as it appears on the reservation.

    ✓ The Check Out button becomes active.

5. Complete the check-out​

  1. If Return your key appears, select Show PIN.

  2. Open the smart container and return the physical key.

  3. Close the container securely.

  4. Select I returned the key — continue checkout.

  5. Select Pay if AVA shows it.

  6. Complete the payment on the mapped Stripe terminal or gateway flow.

  7. If no payment is due, select Check Out.

    ✓ You see the Check-Out Completed screen.

When the key-return panel appears

Your hotel must enable the key-return setting. The stay must also have an existing SmartLock PIN.

6. Finish and return to the start​

The confirmation screen shows a countdown and returns to the Welcome screen automatically. You can also select Complete Check-Out to finish immediately. If you configured Check-Out Completion Modal, AVA shows your saved messages here.

If a group checkout includes more than one room, the results screen shows each room outcome. You can use it to confirm which rooms completed successfully.

What Happens After Check-Out​

  • The reservation is marked as checked out in the PMS.
  • The room can move to housekeeping or turnover status.
  • Room access is disabled based on your lock system.
  • AVA shows any configured Check-Out Completion Modal before returning to Welcome.
  • AVA sends any enabled Check-out notifications.
Room labels in notifications

When AVA has a display room label, notifications use it instead of the raw PMS room ID. If no label is available, AVA uses the room ID as a fallback.

Notification delivery

If a notification channel is unavailable, the check-out still completes. If the same checkout is retried, AVA does not send duplicate checkout alerts.

Troubleshooting​

Reservation not found​

What you see: A message like "Unable to process your check-out".

Fix:

  1. Confirm the Room Number is correct.
  2. Enter the main guest's Last Name.
  3. If your PMS uses padded room numbers, try the unpadded number too.
  4. If the guest is not checked in yet, complete check-in first.
  5. If it still fails, complete check-out in the PMS or at the front desk.

Room list will not load​

What you see: "No rooms found" in the dropdown.

Fix:

  1. Wait a few seconds and try again.
  2. Type the room number manually.
  3. If the room is still not found, use the PMS to check out.

ACI departure list is empty​

What you see: The ACI search shows "No checkout reservations found".

Fix:

  1. Confirm you opened the ACI link, not the self-service link.
  2. Type the room number, guest name, or reservation ID.
  3. Select Refresh checkout reservations.
  4. Confirm the reservation is due out and still checked in within the PMS.
  5. Use the PMS or front desk if the reservation remains missing.

ACI group checkout is unavailable​

What you see: The ACI checkout screen shows only Single Checkout.

Fix:

  1. Go to Settings → Check-In → Check-In Policy.
  2. Turn on Group Check-Out Availability.
  3. Select Assisted Check-In mode.
  4. Confirm your PMS connection is active.
  5. Reopen the ACI link.
PMS support

AVA shows ACI group checkout only when your PMS reports support. The setting must also be enabled for Assisted Check-In mode. AVA hides the option when support is unavailable or unconfirmed. Opera currently reports support. Other PMS providers do not show the option. Contact support if the option stays unavailable after your PMS connection recovers.

Guest already checked out​

What you see: AVA says "The reservation is already checked out." This can appear after a repeated checkout attempt.

Why this happens: The original checkout already succeeded. The repeat attempt is safe to stop.

Fix:

  1. Confirm the room number and last name.

  2. Do not select Check Out again.

  3. If the reservation still appears in Operations View, click Refresh.

  4. Continue with the next departure.

    ✓ AVA does not send a Check-out Failed email for this result.

Cloudbeds repeat checkout

Cloudbeds reservations now show this clear message from the checkout flow and Operations View. Mews keeps its existing success behavior for an already-completed checkout.

Payment opens the wrong flow​

What you see: Pay opens a gateway or QR payment instead of the terminal flow.

Fix:

  1. Confirm the kiosk is running in terminal mode.
  2. Check that a Stripe terminal is mapped to the kiosk.
  3. Reload the check-out screen.
  4. Try Pay again.

Checkout does not finish after terminal payment​

What you see: The terminal payment succeeds, but the checkout screen stays open.

Fix:

  1. Wait a few seconds for AVA to confirm the payment.
  2. Refresh the check-out screen.
  3. Check the terminal receipt before trying the payment again.
  4. If the receipt shows success, AVA should return to the paid state on retry.
  5. Contact support if the success screen still does not appear.

Opera checkout capture is still processing​

What you see: Opera checkout takes longer than usual while AVA checks the live folio.

Why this happens: Opera may need extra time to return current folio details.

Fix:

  1. Wait up to 90 seconds for AVA to finish before retrying.
  2. Check the Opera folio or payment receipt before starting another payment.
  3. Refresh the checkout screen once if AVA still shows an error.
  4. Confirm the payment status in Opera.
  5. Use the PMS or front desk if checkout remains incomplete.

Accommodation is waived, but payment remains​

What you see: The accommodation charge is waived, but AVA still shows a positive balance.

Why this happens: Opera can leave separately posted extras or their taxes payable after a room-package waiver. For pre-arrival projections, the room charge and rate-info tax are waived together. Mews v2 uses a full-invoice waiver when its waive policy matches. Checkout uses the evaluated payable amount when the PMS returns one. Uncovered Mews products can remain payable after a room-package waiver. If AVA cannot prove the product classification, it withholds the unverified amount for staff review.

Fix:

  1. Review Extras and other folio rows.
  2. Confirm Balance Due in the PMS.
  3. Select Pay if the balance is correct.
  4. If Opera reports zero, refresh AVA and confirm the balance is zero.

Compare the amount with the PMS before collecting payment.

No payment is due​

What you see: AVA shows a zero Balance Due, but billing rows remain visible.

Why this happens: Projected rows can remain visible while the PMS finishes syncing. Opera preserves an explicit zero balance.

Fix:

  1. Confirm Balance Due is zero in the PMS.
  2. Refresh the reservation in AVA.
  3. Compare the displayed rows with the PMS folio.
  4. Contact support if AVA still shows a positive amount after the refresh.

Mews billing needs review​

What you see: A bundled Mews product needs review after a matching room-package waiver.

Why this happens: AVA could not prove the product's classification.

Fix:

  1. Review the Mews rate, included products, and complete invoice.
  2. Confirm the reservation matches the configured accommodation policy.
  3. Refresh the reservation after Mews finishes syncing.
  4. Do not collect an unverified amount.
  5. Ask front-desk staff to review the complete Mews invoice.
  6. Use the PMS or front desk if the amounts still differ.

Group checkout rooms do not appear​

What you see: Some linked rooms are missing from Group Checkout.

Fix:

  1. Confirm the rooms are linked in your PMS.
  2. Check that the rooms are ready to check out.
  3. Make sure the reservation has not already been completed.
  4. If a balance is still open, settle it first.

The key-return panel does not appear​

What you see: Checkout continues without showing Return your key.

Fix:

  1. Ask an admin to open Settings → Check-In → Check-In Policy.
  2. Turn on Show smart-lock PIN during guest checkout.
  3. Confirm the stay has an existing SmartLock PIN.
  4. Start the checkout lookup again.

Still Stuck?​

Contact success@vouch-technologies.com if:

  • ❌ The room does not appear and manual entry fails
  • ❌ The guest cannot be checked out after multiple attempts
  • ❌ The PMS reports an error that blocks checkout

Helpful to include:

  • Room number
  • Guest last name
  • Time the issue started