Chapter 3

CASHIERING

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 Cashiering Basics
OPERA financials work solely in terms of debits
and credits to guest folios. You either post a
charge and “add” to the guest folio balance or
post a payment or adjustment and “subtract”
from the guest folio balance. Debits and
Credits are key aspects of transactions you
post as a Cashier.

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Debit - a transaction posting that “adds” to the
guest’s folio balance where the guest
consumes a charge and owes the hotel for the
service. For example, when a guest charges an
item such as dinner in the restaurant, that
charge posts to the guest’s account (Folio) as a
debit using a Transaction Code (e.g.
Restaurant Dinner).

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Credit - a transaction posting that “subtracts” from the
guest folio balance where the guest pays for a charge
or service applied to their folio. Another way to credit
the guest’s account is posting an adjustment to a
guest’s folio. In most cases, credits are payments
posted when a guest checks out. For example, when a
guest makes a payment, or there is an adjustment or
correction to the folio, the payment or adjustment
posts to the guest’s account (Folio) as a credit using a
Transaction Code (i.e. Cash).

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 Navigating Folios
All guest charges post to one or more folios once the
guest is in-house. In OPERA, the term “window” is
an alternate name for a folio. We use the term
“window” because when viewing a guest folio to
the screen, you are able to tile multiple folios to
appear like windows.
Guests may have up to eight folio windows, which
you can view, print, or use to bill them separately.
Multiple folios are required when closing charges to
Direct Bill.
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• To open and navigate multiple folio windows, follow the steps
below:
1. From the main menu, select Cashiering.
2. Select Billing.
3. Enter your Password select Login.
4. Search for and highlight the guest whose folio you wish to
display and choose Select.
5. Right click with the mouse to open a menu of options.
6. Select New Window near the bottom of the list.
Another folio window appears to the right of Folio 1.
7. Repeat this process up to a maximum of eight (8) folio windows.

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 Posting a Charge
From time to time, it is necessary to post
charges manually to a guest folio. Charges
posted directly by a user require accessing the
folio. Charges posted automatically through
the Night Audit do not require a user’s
intervention.

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 To manually post a charge to a guest folio,
follow the steps below:
1. From the main menu, select Cashiering and Billing.
2. Enter your Password in the CASHIER LOGIN screen and select
Login.
3. Search for and highlight the desired guest room.
4. Choose Select to open the folio.
5. Select Post at the bottom of the BILLING screen.
6. Click the drop down arrow next to the Code field.
7. Enter dollar Amount of the posting.
8. Enter the Qty (Quantity) to post multiple transactions at the
same price. (i.e. If a guest receives 30 photocopies at .25
cents each, enter a quantity of 30 at a price of .25)
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9. Select the folio Win (Window) to post the transaction. The default window for
all postings is the first folio window.
10. Select from a list of Arr. Code (Arrangement Codes) if the charge description
should group by charge type (i.e. Restaurant Charges).
11. Enter the Check No. (Check Number) when manually posting Food and
Beverage transactions (in the event that the POS interface is down). If there is
not interface with the F&B outlets and the PMS and the F&B charge is a
manual one, you may leave this blank as well.
12. Use the Supplement and Reference fields to enter an explanation of the
charge. These fields may print on the guest folio, so be certain to limit
explanations to text appropriate for the guest to view.
13. Select Post to post the charge.
14. Continue this process to post charges until complete. Once all charges post,
select Close.

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 Transfer Charges to/from Another Room

• Follow the steps below to transfer a charge

from one room to another:
1. From the main menu, select Cashiering and
Billing.
2. Search for, highlight the desired guest room,
and choose Select.

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• 1. Highlight the charge(s)
to transfer and right-click
the mouse.
• 2. To transfer multiple
transactions, place an “X”
next to each charge or
• highlight the charges and
select the Space bar.
• 3. Select Transfer
Transaction.

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 Transfer Charges to/from Another Folio
Window
• Follow the steps below to
transfer a charge to another folio
window:
1. From the main menu, select
Cashiering and Billing.
2. Search for, highlight the desired
guest room, and choose Select.
3. Highlight the charge(s) to transfer
and right click the mouse. To
transfer multiple transactions,
place an “X” next to each charge.
4. Select Transfer to Window and
choose the Window number.

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 Posting Payments
Payments apply a credit or payment to an in-house
guest room. OPERA automatically defaults to the
payment method assigned to the particular window
(if multiple payment types exist) or defaults to the
one on the reservation as well as the total amount
due on the folio.
Follow the steps below to make a Payment:
1. Access and display a guest folio in the BILLING
screen.
2. Select Payment.
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3. If the payment type differs from that of the
reservation, click the drop down arrow next to the
Payment Code field.
4. Highlight the desired payment type and select OK.
5. Enter the payment amount in the Amount field. This
field defaults to the folio balance.
6. If the guest pays by credit card, type the card number and
expiration date in the Credit Card No./Exp. Date fields
7. Enter a Reference note for the payment and select
Post.
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 Split a Charge
The need to Split a charge on a guest folio happens for a number of
reasons. Most commonly, two guests staying in the same room prefer
to split their room charges and offer different forms of payment. You
may also use the Split function to split a transaction if an adjustment
needs to be made to ensure it appears correctly on the guest’s bill.
Follow the steps below to Split a charge:
1. Access and display the guest folio in the BILLING screen.
2. Highlight the desired charge, right-click and select Split.
3. Select the radio button to split the charge by an Amount or
Percentage.
4. Enter the Amount to split or Percentage to split (either an amount or
percentage).
5. Select OK to save.
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 Guest Refunds and Paid Outs
When a departing guest has a credit balance on
their folio, it is necessary to refund the
remaining balance to the guest. Whether your
hotel considers these guest refunds or paid
outs, handle the debit posting to the folio in
the same manner.

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From a guest folio with a credit balance, follow the steps below
to issue a paid out or guest refund:
1. Access and display the guest folio in the BILLING screen.
2. Select Post and enter the Code for a “Paid Out” or “Guest
Refund.”
3. Enter the Amount to refund and select Post.
4. Answer “Yes” to print a receipt and have the guest to sign.
5. Select Close to return to the guest folio.
6. Notice the zero folio balance.

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 Billing Options
Within the folio window,
there are several
additional options to
assist with managing
the guest folio.
Selecting Options from
any guest folio displays
the following screen:

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 Fixed Charges
Many times, a guest has a charge that occurs
every night during the stay. It is possible for
the system to post those charges during the
night audit along with room and tax. OPERA
calls these Fixed Charges.

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 Package Options
Many hotels offer packages for guests that may
include breakfast or dinner with the room
rate. Typically, a dollar amount is set aside for
a meal. Sometimes a guest consumes more
than the package allows. In this case, it is
helpful to see how much of a package has
been consumed if a guest is questioning
charges on their folio.

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 Phone Details
Phone Details allows the user to see detailed
information regarding a phone charge posted
to a guest folio. In the event of a guest dispute
or question about a phone call, this option is
particularly useful.

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 Posting History
Posting History tracks posting details and
information on charges posted to guest folios.
Charges automatically appear in Posting
History when the charge applies to the folio.
Whenever you correct, split, or adjust a
charge, a record appears in posting history as
well.

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The POSTING HISTORY screen displays.
• Action is the type of posting or
transaction logged (i.e. transfer
charge, split charge, manual
posting, etc.)
• Revenue Date is the business date
affected by the transaction
• Posting Date is the actual system
date when the transaction posted
• User/Name is the user ID and last
name of the user that posted the
transaction
• Reason/Description populates
when an adjustment or negative
transaction is logged in history

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 Post Rate Code
Post Rate Code automatically generates a
posting of room and tax charges for any user
selected Rate Code. The Rate Code that exists
on the reservation defaults, however, the
posting screen allows the user to change the
Rate Code posted. Use this feature to post
room and tax on a folio for a rate plan
different from the reserved one.

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 Privileges
Privileges are several options that allow specific
charging instructions on folios such as No Post,
Pre-Post Stay Charging, Scheduled Check Out,
and Authorize Direct Bill. For more
information on folio privileges.

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 Routing
Charge Routing is extremely useful when setting
up direct billing for a guest. You can route
charges to another room, a Posting Master
account, or to separate charges on the guest’s
own bill for a second form of payment.

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