---
title: Guest Folios and Hotel Billing: Deposits, Split Bills
description: Tivuzo folios: room and meal charges posted nightly, extras, deposits, split billing to a company, and payments by M-Pesa, card or cash, all in the ledger.
url: https://www.tivuzo.com/features/guest-folios-and-billing/
updated: 2026-11-03
---

Feature · Guest folios and billing

# Every charge on the right bill.

A guest folio collects everything a stay costs: room nights, meals, the bar, laundry, a late check-out. Tivuzo keeps it current night by night and turns it into an invoice at check-out, with the payments already matched.

**How does hotel billing work in Tivuzo?**
In Tivuzo every booking has a folio (guest bill). Room and meal charges post to it each night, extras and restaurant or bar bills are added as they happen, deposits and payments are recorded by method with their reference, and part of the bill can go to a company while the guest pays the rest. At check-out the folio becomes an invoice in the accounts, and every payment is an accounting payment matched to it.

## What goes on a folio

| Line | How it gets there |
|---|---|
| Room nights | Posted by the night audit at the rate for that night, or at check-out for nights not yet posted. |
| Meals in the plan | Bed and breakfast, half board or full board, posted with the room night at the meal plan price. |
| Restaurant and bar | Charged to the room from the POS; the bill shows on the folio with its receipt number. |
| Extras | Laundry, transfers, excursions, late check-out, minibar: added by the front desk from your list of extras. |
| Deposits | Taken at booking or check-in and shown against the balance. |
| Adjustments | Once a charge is invoiced it can't be edited; corrections are made with an adjustment line, so the trail stays clean. |

## Split billing: company and guest

Many stays are paid by two parties: the company or tour operator pays the room, the guest pays the bar. Set "room billed to" on the booking and Tivuzo sends room charges to the company's invoice, while extras stay on the guest's. Company invoices go to receivables with their payment terms; agents and corporate accounts get statements from the accounts. Group bookings can share one folio when one party pays for everyone.

## Payments and deposits

- Cash, card, bank transfer and M-Pesa or other mobile money, each a payment method
- The transaction reference on every payment, such as the M-Pesa code or card slip number
- Part payments and deposits against the balance
- Payments matched to the invoice automatically at check-out
- Refunds recorded against the original payment

Each payment is a real accounting payment, so the cash book, the bank and the M-Pesa statement agree with the front desk. See [M-Pesa and hotel payments](https://www.tivuzo.com/features/mobile-money-payments/).

## Check-out in four steps

- **See what is left**Tivuzo shows nights and extras not yet charged and the balance due.
- **Post and invoice**Remaining nights post, and the folio is invoiced when the last guest on it leaves.
- **Take payment**Record the payment with its method and reference; it is matched to the invoice.
- **Hand over**Print or email the folio statement. The room goes to housekeeping as dirty, with a cleaning task.

## Documents

Print or email a **guest registration card** at check-in and a **folio statement** at check-out, with your property's name, logo, address and tax number. Invoices carry VAT as set on each room type, meal plan and extra.

### Front desk

Arrivals, check-in and the room planner.

### Restaurant and bar

Charge a bill to the room.

### Accounts

Invoices, receivables and VAT.

## Folio and billing questions

### What is a guest folio?

A folio is the running bill for a stay: every charge, deposit and payment from check-in to check-out. See [the glossary](https://www.tivuzo.com/glossary/).

### Can a company pay the room and the guest pay extras?

Yes. Set the company as "room billed to" on the booking. Room charges go to the company's invoice; extras stay on the guest's folio.

### Can I correct a charge after it was invoiced?

Invoiced charges are locked. Add an adjustment line instead; both lines stay on record so the audit trail is complete.

### Do deposits show on the final bill?

Yes. Deposits are payments against the folio, shown on the statement and deducted from the balance.

### How are OTA bookings billed?

Record the booking with its channel. Prepaid bookings are settled by the channel's payout; pay-at-hotel bookings are paid by the guest. See [OTA commission accounting](https://www.tivuzo.com/guides/booking-com-commission-accounting/).