What it means
A payout is a transfer of funds from a channel or payment processor to a beneficiary. It can combine several bookings and deduct fees, refunds or adjustments. Its date records a money movement, not necessarily the nights when accommodation was provided.
Why it matters
Distinguishing payouts from sales prevents counting revenue twice and helps identify missing funds. A guest may have paid a reservation while the money is still held or awaiting transfer. Keep these stages visible separately.
An example in practice
In an example with no taxes or other charges, a channel combines COP 1,000,000 and COP 500,000 from two bookings. It deducts COP 150,000 in fees and a COP 100,000 refund. The expected payout is COP 1,250,000. Link the bank reference to that breakdown rather than just one reservation.
A mistake to avoid
Recording the entire payout as a new sale after recording the bookings duplicates revenue. Date mismatches are another trap: a July transfer can include June accommodation and adjustments from another stay.
Put it into practice
- Keep the payout ID and its breakdown by charge or adjustment.
- Distinguish expected, sent and actually received amounts.
- Match the transfer to the bank statement and investigate differences.
A common question
Does a smaller payout mean money is missing?
Not always. Expected deductions, currency conversion or partial transfers may explain it. Reconciliation should explain the difference with documents and specific rules instead of forcing the total to match.