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Unpaid invoices in hotels and tourist accommodation: a critical issue for profitability

February 17, 2025
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4 min of reading
Hotels and tourist accommodations (Airbnb concierge services, apart-hotels, tourist residences, etc.) are facing a recurring and costly problem: unpaid bills. Whether it is a question of no-shows, departures without payment or prolonged payment delays, these situations have a direct impact on the cash flow of establishments. In this article, we analyze the causes of unpaid payments, their consequences and the best solutions to limit these risks and secure your income.

Why are unpaid bills a major problem in tourist accommodation?

Unlike other sectors, hotels and short-term rentals face specificities that complicate the management of payments:

- No-shows and late cancellations: A customer books but does not show up or cancels out of time, leaving a room empty without compensation.

- Departures without payment: Some customers leave the establishment without paying their bill, especially in independent rentals such as Airbnbs.

- Extended payment deadlines: Businesses booking for employees or travel agencies may delay payments.

- Accumulation of receivables: Without effective reminders, some customers delay in paying, putting the cash flow of establishments in difficulty.

The impact is direct: financial losses, lack of cash flow and increased administrative burden to manage these arrears.

How to prevent unpaid bills in hotels and short-term rentals?

1. Secure reservations as soon as orders are taken

- Request a deposit or a bank imprint for any reservation.

- Apply a strict cancellation policy with fees if necessary.

- Verify the identity and solvency of professional customers beforehand.

2. Automate reminders and payment tracking

- Set up automatic reminders before customers arrive and before payment deadlines.

- Facilitate payment with online and multi-channel solutions.

- Establish a structured recovery process in case of delay.

3. Use dedicated debt collection solutions

It is essential to equip yourself with a powerful tool to avoid wasting time and improve the recovery rate. These solutions make it possible to:

- Automate payment reminders by email, SMS or mail.

- Adopt a personalized and diplomatic tone to maximize the chances of settlement.

- Optimize interactions with debtors by analyzing their behaviors.

Among the existing solutions, Billabex stands out for its approach based on artificial intelligence, which simplifies and optimizes the entire process.

The advantages of an automated solution like Billabex

Billabex is a smart debt collection solution designed for hotel and accommodation professionals. Its virtual agent automates reminders and manages the follow-up of payments without manual intervention.

✅ Intelligent and multi-channel reminders (email, SMS, mail, phone call).

✅ Adaptation of the tone and the message according to the debtor's profile.

✅ Automated dialogue with customers to facilitate conflict-free payment.

✅ Reduction of payment terms and improvement of the recovery rate.

✅ Real-time monitoring and detailed reporting for better control.

By integrating such a solution, institutions reduce financial losses, gain in efficiency and optimize their cash flow.

Conclusion: Don't let unpaid bills jeopardize your business

Unpaid bills represent a real risk for hotel establishments and tourist accommodations. Anticipating these problems by securing payments, automating reminders and using an adapted solution is now essential to maintain profitability.

Investing in an efficient debt collection tool like Billabex makes it possible to significantly improve debt management and to recover your money more quickly without effort.

Prevention is better than to suffer. Adopt an effective solution now and protect your cash flow.

Sunver is the best solution for creating, customizing and sharing your Digital Room Directory (welcome booklet) assisted by AI.

Offer your customers a sublime experience, save time on a daily basis and increase your additional revenue.

Article written by:

Nathan Assouline

Co-founder of Sunver

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