Online check-in and revenue management work together to increase revenue, reduce manual work and improve the guest experience: by digitalising arrival, you capture useful data, automate payments and free up staff for value-added tasks. This integration lets you apply pricing and ancillary sales strategies with less friction and more control.
What does online check-in bring to revenue management?
Traditional revenue management focuses on price, inventory and channel. But digitalising check-in opens up a source of data and revenue that many hotels overlook. When guests check in online before they arrive, the system can gather preferences, reason for travel and willingness to pay for additional services. That information, well managed, feeds upselling, segmentation and loyalty decisions.
Online check-in also cuts waiting times at reception and eliminates repetitive admin tasks. Staff can spend that time handling requests, selling room upgrades or dealing with issues. The result is a more streamlined operation and a happier guest – two factors that directly impact RevPAR and online reputation.
How it translates into revenue
It's not just about saving time. Online check-in lets you automate pending charges, take deposits or manage guarantee deposits without friction. It also makes it easier to offer late check-out, early check-in or room upgrades at the exact moment when the guest is most receptive: before they arrive at the hotel. All with clear rules and without relying on staff availability.
Data you should capture (and how to use it for revenue)
For online check-in to be a revenue management tool, you need to design the form with purpose. Don't ask for data you won't use. Every field should have a commercial or segmentation goal. Here are some practical examples:
- Reason for travel: lets you personalise offers (romantic getaway, business, family).
- Estimated arrival time: makes it easier to sell early check-in or late check-out.
- Room preferences: enables you to sell upgrades with a higher chance of acceptance.
- Preferred payment method: speeds up payment and reduces failed payments.
- Marketing consent: the basis for post-stay loyalty campaigns.
This data, integrated with the PMS and channel manager, allows you to segment better, adjust prices by channel and personalise communication. Online check-in stops being a simple registration and becomes a point for capturing commercial intelligence.
Online check-in and digital payments: less friction, more control
Payment is one of the most sensitive moments of a stay. If you manage it badly, you create doubts, queues and complaints. If you automate it with online check-in and digital payments, you reduce failed payments, get paid earlier and free staff from admin tasks.
With Avirato, online check-in integrates with secure digital payments and the booking engine. You can set up automatic charges, deposits or guarantee authorisations depending on the rate type and channel. The guest pays from their mobile phone with complete security and you receive immediate confirmation. Less manual work, fewer errors and more predictable cash flow.
Revenue management in practice with online check-in
A revenue manager knows that the best rate is useless if the arrival process is slow or confusing. Online check-in reduces friction and increases willingness to pay for additional services. Here are some specific strategies:
- Pre-arrival offers: send discounted room upgrade proposals before arrival.
- Paid early check-in / late check-out: monetise operational flexibility.
- Upselling services: parking, breakfast, spa or local experiences.
- Advance payment of non-refundable rates: reduces late cancellations and improves cash flow.
With a PMS like Avirato, these actions are automated and integrated with the channel manager to synchronise rates and availability in real time. Online check-in becomes just another sales channel, controlled by the revenue manager.
Comparison table: online check-in with and without integrated revenue management
| Aspect | Traditional online check-in | Online check-in integrated with revenue management |
|---|---|---|
| Data capture | Basic (name, ID) | Segmented (reason, preferences, willingness to pay) |
| Payments | Manual or without integration | Automated, with rules by rate and channel |
| Upselling | Occasional, without automation | Personalised pre-arrival offers |
| Use of data | Stored without being used | Feeds segmentation and loyalty |
| Impact on RevPAR | Indirect | Direct, measurable and manageable |
How to start combining online check-in and revenue management
You don't need a radical transformation. Start with the essentials and scale as you see results. Here's a three-step path:
- Digitalise check-in with a useful form: activate data collection with a commercial purpose. If your PMS allows it, connect the form to the guest profile.
- Automate payments and charges: set up rules for advance payment, deposit or authorisation depending on rate and channel. This reduces failed payments and frees up time.
- Launch your first pre-arrival upselling campaign: choose a high-margin service (late check-out, room upgrade) and offer it automatically with online check-in.
With Avirato, these steps are implemented smoothly because PMS, booking engine, channel manager and payments are integrated into a single platform. What's more, the revenue management module and applied AI help you adjust prices and availability in real time, with reliable data from the moment of booking.
If you haven't yet digitalised check-in or you have it disconnected from your revenue strategy, you're leaving money on the table. It's not about technology for its own sake, but about using it to sell better, get paid earlier and build more loyalty.
Get started today with online check-in and revenue management
At Avirato we bring together online check-in, digital payments and revenue management so your hotel can sell more direct, automate operations and improve the guest experience. Request a free demo and discover how to apply it to your property, whatever its size or type.
Frequently asked questions
Does online check-in completely replace physical reception?
Not necessarily. Online check-in streamlines and automates admin tasks, but physical reception is still useful for personalised attention, last-minute sales and resolving issues. The key is to combine both according to the needs of each property.
What data should I ask for in online check-in to improve revenue management?
You should ask for data with a commercial purpose: reason for travel, estimated arrival time, room preferences, preferred payment method and marketing consent. Avoid unnecessary fields that lengthen the process and reduce conversion.
How does online check-in integrate with digital payments?
At Avirato, online check-in is integrated with secure digital payments. You can set up automatic charges, advance payments or guarantee authorisations depending on the rate and channel. The guest pays from their mobile phone and the system confirms the transaction in real time.
Can I offer room upgrades or late check-out with online check-in?
Yes. You can automate pre-arrival upselling offers, such as room upgrades, early check-in or late check-out, and show them to the guest during the online check-in process. This lets you monetise operational flexibility without manual intervention.