Checklist template

Chargeback and guest fraud prevention for hotels

A ready-to-use checklist with 118 items in 6 sections, covering ID verification, Authorizations, Third-party bookings, Disputes, Walkouts, Training. Use it as-is in Bindy, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 118 Items
  • 101 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 131 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. ID verification 20 items

  1. Check-ins observed during the visit Number
  2. Check-ins observed at which photo identification was requested Number
  3. Front desk agents ask every arriving guest for government-issued photo identification Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The name on the identification is compared with the name on the reservation Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The name on the payment card is compared with the name on the identification Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The guest's card is inserted or tapped at the terminal at check-in rather than keyed from the reservation Yes / No 1 pt
  7. A signed third-party card authorization is on file before arrival when the cardholder will not be present Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Third-party card authorizations are received through the secure link or system named in company policy, never by plain email Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Identification details are entered only in the property management system fields provided for them Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Each guest signs a paper or electronic registration card at check-in Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The registration card states the room rate Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The registration card states the smoking and damage fees Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Guests with a local address are checked in under the hotel's local guest policy Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Guests paying cash leave the deposit set by company policy before a key is issued Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The minimum check-in age is verified from the identification Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The agent compares the photo on the identification with the person at the desk Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Identification that is expired, damaged or looks altered is referred to the manager on duty Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Same-day reservations paid with a card in another person's name are referred to the manager on duty before check-in Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Digital keys are activated only after the card and identity checks required by company policy are complete Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Identity checks seen at the front desk Rating
    • Identification and card checked at every check-in 5 pts
    • Checked at most check-ins 3 pts
    • Rarely checked 1 pt

2. Authorizations 21 items

  1. An authorization covering room, tax and the incidental deposit for the full stay is obtained at check-in Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The approval code of each authorization is recorded on the guest folio Yes / No 1 pt
  3. When a card is declined, another method of payment is obtained before a key is issued Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Forced or offline authorizations require a manager's approval in the system Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Manually keyed card entries require a manager's approval Yes / No 1 pt
  6. A high-balance report listing folios that exceed their authorization is run every day Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The high-balance report is signed by the night auditor or the front office manager Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Additional authorization is obtained the same day for folios on the high-balance report Yes / No 1 pt
  9. A new authorization is obtained when a guest extends the stay Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Guests without an incidental deposit are set to no-post so outlet charges cannot be charged to the room Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Restaurant and bar cashiers check the guest name and room number in the in-house list before accepting a room charge Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Authorizations on long stays are renewed before the hold period of the card processor ends Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The amount settled at check-out stays within the amount authorized, or a new approval is obtained Yes / No 1 pt
  14. A card presented at check-out that differs from the card authorized at check-in is inserted or tapped, not keyed Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The amount of the authorization is told to the guest and shown on the registration card Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Deposits charged to a card given by phone are run with the address and security code checks the processor provides Yes / No 1 pt
  17. A declined authorization is not retried for a smaller amount to obtain an approval Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Group rooming lists state, for each room, who pays room and tax and who pays incidentals Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Stays billed to a company are accepted only for companies on the approved direct-bill list Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Deposits for groups and banquets paid by card are supported by a signed card authorization Yes / No 1 pt
  21. Authorization practice at the front desk Rating
    • Full authorization obtained and monitored daily 5 pts
    • Obtained at check-in but balances not monitored 3 pts
    • Keys issued without a valid authorization 1 pt

3. Third-party bookings 19 items

  1. Virtual cards from online travel agencies are charged only for what the booking covers Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Virtual cards are charged inside the activation dates shown on the booking Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The guest's own card is taken for incidentals on stays prepaid through an online travel agency Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The name on a third-party reservation is matched to the guest's identification Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Name changes on third-party reservations are confirmed with the booking channel before check-in Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Travel agent and wholesaler vouchers are compared with the reservation before the guest is roomed Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Requests by email or message to refund a booking to a different card or by bank transfer are refused Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Callers claiming to be from a booking channel or brand support are never given logins or card details Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Suspicious calls and messages are reported to the manager on duty and recorded Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Each user of the booking channel extranet has a personal login Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Two-step verification is switched on for extranet logins Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The extranet user list holds no departed employee Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Agents do not open links or attachments in guest messages received through the extranet Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The member name on a loyalty award stay is matched to the guest's identification Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Award stays booked for someone other than the member follow the brand's rule for such stays Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Several rooms booked for the same night on one card by a person who is not staying are referred to the manager on duty Yes / No 1 pt
  17. No-show charges on third-party bookings follow the channel's rules Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Virtual card charges declined in the last month Number
  19. Handling of third-party bookings Rating
    • Verified and charged by the rules 5 pts
    • Verified at check-in but charging errors occur 3 pts
    • Not verified 1 pt

4. Disputes 20 items

  1. Chargeback notices from the card processor reach a named employee Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Name of the employee who answers chargebacks Short text
  3. Every chargeback in the last 3 months was answered before the processor's deadline Yes / No 1 pt
  4. A chargeback log records the date, the reason code, the agent who checked the guest in and the outcome Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Each response includes the signed registration card, the folio and the authorization record Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Signed registration cards for 5 stays from 3 months ago were retrieved during the visit Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The cancellation policy appears on the confirmation sent to the guest Yes / No 1 pt
  8. No-show charges are supported by a record of the guarantee policy accepted at booking Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Smoking and damage fees are supported by dated photos Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Smoking and damage fees are supported by a written housekeeping or engineering report Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The guest is told in writing before a charge is posted after departure Yes / No 1 pt
  12. An itemized folio is sent to the guest for charges posted after departure Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Adjustments to disputed charges at the desk carry a reason code and a manager's approval Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The daily allowances and adjustments report is reviewed by the front office manager Yes / No 1 pt
  15. A chargeback already lost is checked against the folio so the guest is not also refunded at the desk Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Chargebacks are analyzed each month by reason and by agent Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Guests responsible for a fraud chargeback are flagged in their guest profile Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Chargebacks received in the last 3 months Number
  19. Chargebacks won in the last 3 months Number
  20. Quality of chargeback responses reviewed Rating
    • Complete and on time 5 pts
    • On time but missing documents 3 pts
    • Late or not answered 1 pt

5. Walkouts 19 items

  1. The night audit lists every departure with an unpaid balance Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Balances of guests paying cash are checked every day against their deposit Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Guests whose deposit is used up are contacted the same day for further payment Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Housekeeping reports to the front desk any room that looks vacated before its departure date Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The housekeeping room status report is compared with the property management system at the frequency set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Rooms showing occupied in the system but found empty are investigated the same day Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Walkouts from the restaurant or bar are recorded with the check number and the server's name Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Bar tabs are opened only against a pre-authorized card or a verified room charge Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Unpaid charges found after departure are charged to the card on file under the terms of the registration card Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Uncollected balances are transferred to an accounts receivable account and pursued by accounting Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Write-offs of walkout balances are approved by the general manager Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Guests who left without paying are added to the hotel's do-not-rent list Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The do-not-rent list is checked when a reservation is made or a walk-in guest arrives Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Housekeeping reports missing or damaged room items on the day of departure Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Valet and parking fees are posted to the folio before the vehicle is released Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Fraud is reported to the police in the cases set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Walkouts recorded in the last month Number
  18. Walkout balances written off in the last month (dollars) Number
  19. Control of walkouts Rating
    • Detected and pursued the same day 5 pts
    • Detected at night audit only 3 pts
    • Found days later or not pursued 1 pt

6. Training 19 items

  1. Every front desk agent completed payment card fraud training in the last 12 months Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Training records list each agent by name with the date completed Yes / No 1 pt
  3. New agents complete fraud training before working the desk alone Yes / No 1 pt
  4. An agent asked during the visit could state the steps for a card presented by someone other than the cardholder Yes / No 1 pt
  5. An agent asked during the visit could state what to do when a card is declined Yes / No 1 pt
  6. An agent asked during the visit could describe a recent phishing call or message and how it was handled Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Night auditors are trained on the risks of late walk-in guests paying with keyed or third-party cards Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Restaurant and bar cashiers are trained to verify room charges Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Reservation agents are trained to refuse card numbers sent by email Yes / No 1 pt
  10. A quick-reference list of fraud warning signs is kept at the front desk out of guests' view Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Contact numbers for the manager on duty, the card processor and the brand's fraud desk are posted in the back office Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Agents are instructed to call the manager on duty rather than confront a person they suspect of fraud Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Recent fraud attempts are shared at shift briefings Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Chargeback results are shared with the front office team each month Yes / No 1 pt
  15. A mystery check-in testing the identity and card checks was carried out in the last 12 months Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Date of the last fraud training session Date
  17. Name of the front office manager Short text
  18. Overall protection against chargebacks and guest fraud Rating
    • Checks made at every step and disputes answered with documents 5 pts
    • Checks made, with gaps in authorizations or records 3 pts
    • Keys issued without checks, or chargebacks left unanswered 1 pt
  19. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the Bindy template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In Bindy you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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