What "Manual" Payment Means, and When to Use It
The difference between Card, Manual, and Void on an amenity booking, the four manual methods (cash, cheque, e-transfer, other), and when to use Manual instead of Card.
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Card vs Manual vs Void
The amenity booking payment selector always shows the same three mutually exclusive options:
Card: the resident pays through Stripe, either by card entry on the spot or a payment link sent to them. This is the default and is unchanged from before.
Manual: you're recording that payment was already collected outside URBI. No Stripe charge happens; you're just logging what happened and letting the booking's accounting reflect it.
Void: no payment is expected on this booking at all (for example a board-approved courtesy waiver). Voiding requires a reason.
Choosing Manual doesn't send a payment link, doesn't touch a card, and doesn't create anything in Stripe. It's the option for money that already changed hands.
The four manual methods
When you select Manual, you choose one method:
Method shown to staff | What it means |
Cash | Physical cash handed to staff, for example at the front desk. |
Cheque | A paper cheque. Use the reference field for the cheque number. |
e-Transfer | An Interac e-transfer or similar sent outside URBI. Use the reference field for the confirmation code. |
Other | Anything that doesn't fit the first three, for example a money order or a pre-arranged credit. |
The reference field is optional for every method, but it's worth filling in: it's the detail that shows up later in the Audit Log and the Payment & Refunds tab, and it's often the only way to match a booking back to a physical cheque or e-transfer weeks later.
When to use Manual instead of Card
Use Manual whenever the resident has already paid you outside URBI: cash at the desk, a cheque dropped off, an e-transfer sent to the property's account, or any other arrangement where Stripe was never involved. If the resident hasn't paid yet and you want URBI to collect the money (card entry or a payment link), use Card instead.
Manual and Card lead to the same result on the books: an invoice, a balanced journal entry, and a Confirmed booking. The only real difference is that a manual booking has no Stripe payment behind it, so it also carries no card processing fee.