How to choose a PMS and channel manager.

There is no single best one, it depends on your property and how you sell. Judge each supplier against the same checklist and test it with your own data. Look for the PMS, channel manager and booking engine in one system, your channels connected two ways, no commission on direct bookings, a clear total price, and answers on VAT, Making Tax Digital, guest records and payments. Ask each supplier to show it with your rooms and rates, and speak to a customer with a similar property.

If you sell on more than one channel, you need both working together. The PMS runs your bookings, check-in, payments and invoices. The channel manager keeps rates and availability in step across Booking.com, Airbnb and the rest. Buying them as one system avoids copying bookings between tools and the double bookings that follow. With a single channel, a PMS alone may do for now, but check you can add the rest later.

Stop syncing calendars by hand and use a channel manager built into your PMS, so every booking closes the room on every other channel. Calendar links between sites can lag, which is how two guests end up with the same room. Check that the channel manager updates availability as bookings arrive, connects each channel two ways, and keeps a single calendar for the whole property.

Use a booking engine on your own website that does not charge commission on the bookings it takes. Ask whether the supplier adds any per-booking fee, and whether payments or messaging carry a charge of their own. The engine should share a calendar and rates with your PMS and channel manager, so a direct booking closes the room on the other channels at once. Avirato's booking engine and channel manager charge no commission per booking.

Check how the software handles VAT on accommodation and how it feeds your digital records. Accommodation is charged at the standard rate of 20 per cent, there is a 28-day rule for long hotel stays, and VAT on a deposit is accounted for when you receive it. VAT-registered businesses must keep digital records and file through compatible software, with no copying and pasting, and Income Tax joined the scheme from 6 April 2026 for income over £50,000. A PMS is not MTD software, so ask which accounting package it connects to. Ask the Avirato team what it covers today in your case.

Ask each supplier for the exact list of accounting packages it connects to today, and for a sample export of invoices and income by property. Do not assume a connection exists because the supplier mentions accounting. If there is no direct connection, check that you can export invoices, charges and payments in a form your accountant can import. Avirato exports them as PDF or CSV. Ask the Avirato team which accounting software it connects to today.

You must keep a written record of every guest aged 16 or over for at least 12 months. Under the Immigration (Hotel Records) Order 1972, it includes full name and nationality. For guests the Order calls aliens, meaning anyone who is not a Commonwealth citizen, a British protected person or an Irish citizen, it also covers passport or identity document details and their next destination. The record must be open to inspection by a police officer or a person authorised by the Secretary of State. It is a duty to keep and show records, not to send them to the police. Confirm the current rules with the Home Office, and ask suppliers how their system collects and stores these details.

Look for a payment system built into your PMS that supports 3D Secure, strong customer authentication and tokenised cards. Ask which currencies it takes and settles in, who is responsible for PCI compliance, and whether it can make later charges, such as a deposit or a no-show, without the guest authenticating again. Avirato Payments is PCI DSS and PSD2 compliant, with SCA and 3D Secure, and takes payments in the guest's currency. Ask the Avirato team whether it settles in pounds for your property.

The one that passes your checklist with your own data is the one that suits you better. Ask both the same questions on channels, commission on direct bookings, the total monthly cost with payments and messaging, VAT and Making Tax Digital, guest records and support. Ask for a demo with your rooms and rates, and speak to a customer with a similar B&B. Check each supplier's own site for current plans and prices, as they change.

It varies a lot, so compare the total monthly cost, not the headline price. Ask what the plan includes, whether prices are published or on request, whether payments, messaging or extra properties are charged on top, and whether there is a fee per booking or a minimum term. Avirato publishes its plans, with no commission per booking on the booking engine or channel manager, and offers a 20-day trial with no card required. Plans are priced in euros plus VAT.