Mews launches instant guest card verification for hotels

Zero Dollar Authorization programme aims to ensure smoother payments

Hotel operating system Mews has launched a new feature in a bid to help protect revenue and ensure smoother payments for accommodation providers.

The Zero Dollar Authorization feature enables hotels to instantly verify a guest’s card at booking without charging it, which it says will reduce failed payments, chargebacks and lost revenue from no-shows.

Hotels using Mews Payments will not depend on third-party providers or manual checks.

Susanne Sandler, senior vice president and general manager of Fintech at Mews, said: “Revenue protection should be effortless. Zero Dollar Authorization is another step toward a world where payments are completely frictionless: smarter for guests, safer for hotels, and ultimately more profitable for every property that runs on Mews.”

Lacey King, general manager at Staypineapple’s The Maxwell Hotel, in Seattle, said the new feature saves the hotel time and stress.

“Payments are more reliable, card issues are caught early, and our front-desk team can focus on guests instead of chasing transactions,” she said.

In addition, Mews is introducing preauthorisation via payment request - a feature that places a temporary hold on the guest’s card to ensure funds are available and verified.