Using the Offline Payment Method

The Offline Payment Method in ReservationKey allows you to securely collect and store guest credit card details without processing payments automatically. This method is especially useful for properties that prefer to manually charge cards using their own terminals or external systems.

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How the Offline Payment Method Works

• When a guest enters a credit card number on the reservation page, ReservationKey stores only the last four digits of the card securely in your account.
• The first twelve digits are emailed to you for security reasons.
• This means the complete card number can only be reconstructed by combining the email portion (first 12 digits) with the 4 digits stored in the system.

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Optional Notification Email

You can set up a separate email address to receive the message that contains the first twelve digits of the credit card number.

If this field is left blank, the first twelve digits will be sent to the main account email—the same address that receives new reservation notifications.

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Testing the Offline Payment Method

Follow these steps to test how offline payments work in your account:

1. Create a new reservation (either online or internally).
2. Go to the Payments section and add a credit card, including the guest’s name and billing address.
3. Click Save.

Once saved:

• The system will automatically send an email with the first twelve digits of the card number.
• The last four digits will be visible within the reservation in ReservationKey.

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Checking Your Email for the Card Digits

After saving a test card, check your email inbox. You should receive a message with the subject line similar to “New Reservation Payment Details”.

This email includes the first 12 digits of the card number. To reconstruct the full number, combine these digits with the last 4 digits stored in the system under the reservation’s payment section.

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Recommended Email Setup

We recommend using Gmail to receive offline payment emails because it makes searching and retrieving card details easier. You can search by the Reservation ID or the guest’s name to quickly locate the correct payment email.

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Security and Privacy Notes

• For PCI compliance, ReservationKey never stores full credit card numbers in the database.
• Always handle offline payment emails securely—avoid forwarding them or storing them in shared folders.
• If multiple staff members need access, consider using a secure shared inbox with limited permissions.

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Summary

The offline payment method offers a flexible way to manage payments manually while maintaining a high level of data security. It provides partial card data in the system and the remainder via email, allowing you to process charges independently using your own payment tools.

For additional protection, make sure your email system is secure and that only authorized staff have access to the offline payment messages.