What records should an Irish hotel keep when a guest disputes a no-show charge?
A disputed no-show charge can involve reception, reservations and accounts. Give the reviewer a traceable account of what was booked, which terms applied and why the amount was collected.
Keep the booking confirmation, the no-show terms presented and accepted at booking, relevant guest messages, dated non-arrival records and the payment transaction trail. Connect them with the reservation and dispute references. Include the charge calculation and any refunds, using masked payment details. Submit evidence that answers the actual claim within your payment service provider’s deadline. A complete file does not establish that every charge is lawful or guarantee a successful defence.
Start with the claim and the deadline
A chargeback is a payment dispute raised through the cardholder’s bank. Distinguish it from a complaint sent only to reception. Open the notification from your payment service provider (PSP) and appoint one person to coordinate the response.
- Record the dispute reference, transaction ID, amount, currency, reason code and submission deadline, including its time zone.
- Identify the claim: an unrecognised payment, a cancellation, a promised refund or a duplicate charge needs different evidence.
- Confirm who processed the payment and follow that provider’s instructions and the applicable card-scheme requirements.
Stripe’s response guidance illustrates why the dispute category and response deadline matter. Use your own provider’s live case instructions; this is not a statement that your RoomRaccoon payments use Stripe.
A no-show evidence file checklist
Hypothetical training example: a Galway hotel takes direct booking DEMO-32 on 30 October 2026 for 6–8 November: two nights at €150, totalling €300. Assume the accepted terms specify a first-night no-show charge and free cancellation until 18:00 on 5 November. No deposit was collected and no refund issued. The example charge is €150, not €300; these assumptions do not establish enforceability.
| Record and source | Event date | Relevant condition or question | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terms: booking engine | 30 Oct, 14:12 | First-night charge; 5 Nov cancellation cutoff | Terms version NS-3, booking-screen capture and timestamped acceptance record linked to DEMO-32. |
| Confirmation: reservations email | 30 Oct, 14:13 | Two nights; €300 booking value | Sent confirmation with guest name, booking reference, stay dates, rate and applicable terms. |
| Messages: email and call log | 30 Oct–7 Nov | Cancellation, amendment or waiver? | Relevant messages with sender and timestamps; contemporaneous call notes with staff attribution. |
| Non-arrival: property management system (PMS) | 7 Nov, 07:00 | Room held; guest did not arrive | Reservation status history and night-audit note; record when staff checked for late-arrival messages. |
| Charge: PSP and hotel folio | 7 Nov, 09:00 | €150 first night less €0 already collected = €150 | Transaction ID, €150 EUR capture, masked card reference, receipt and available authorisation result. |
| Refund check: accounts | 12 Nov, 10:15 | Any credit already issued? | Dated ledger and PSP check showing no refund in this example; include references if one exists. |
| Dispute: PSP notice | 12 Nov, 10:00 | What does the cardholder allege? | Case reference, claim, reason code and actual response deadline; later add submission receipt. |
Keep event time and export time separately. Preserve originals; submit clearly labelled, relevant extracts. A confirmation sent after booking does not, by itself, prove prior acceptance of the terms.
Check every booking channel and inbox before describing a guest as a no-show. A timely cancellation or an agreed waiver may change the response. Never reconstruct an acceptance log or present a later note as a contemporaneous record.
Check entitlement, evidence and privacy
Does the evidence support this particular charge?
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s guidance on unfair contract terms requires transparent terms and clear cost implications. Acceptance alone does not make an unfair term binding. Have the applicable clause and charge reviewed if disclosure, proportionality or a promised exception is disputed.
For an unauthorised-payment claim, retain the provider’s available authentication and authorisation records. A booking confirmation alone does not prove the cardholder authorised the charge. For a cancellation claim, compare the guest’s timestamp with the actual cutoff.
What should the reviewer receive?
Prepare a short chronology, the relevant clause and an indexed set of readable attachments. Explain what each item proves. Follow your PSP’s file limits and submission process; do not rely on links to changing web pages. Stripe’s evidence guidance supports concise, relevant submissions. Save the final response and submission confirmation.
Which personal data belongs in the file?
Use booking and transaction references, relevant guest details and masked card information. Exclude full card numbers, unrelated guest records and passport copies collected without a case-specific need. Card security codes (CVV/CVC) must not be retained after authorisation, even encrypted, under PCI Security Standards Council guidance.
Restrict access to staff handling the case. Set a retention review date after resolution, considering any continuing legal or statutory need. The Data Protection Commission’s retention guidance explains that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides no universal retention period. Keep financial records and unnecessary guest correspondence on appropriately different schedules.
Using RoomRaccoon to prepare the response
RoomRaccoon’s property management system brings reservation details and payment statuses together. Its integrated hotel payments page describes chargeback management, while the Help Centre identifies a Chargebacks & Disputes tab. Confirm availability for your property’s payment setup. Matching terms, checking messages and reviewing the evidence remain staff tasks; do not assume an automatic evidence pack.
Walk through a sample no-show dispute and the records your team would need to retrieve.
Book a demo for your propertyNo-show dispute questions
Is a no-show status enough evidence?
No. It records an operational outcome. Link it to the booking, accepted policy, communication checks and the transaction being disputed.
What changes for an online travel agency booking?
Keep the online travel agency (OTA) confirmation and booking-specific terms. Establish who collected the guest’s payment and which transaction is disputed before deciding who must respond.
Can we stop responding if the guest withdraws the dispute?
Do not assume the case is closed. Check its status and your PSP’s instructions. Stripe, for example, recommends submitting evidence even when the customer requests withdrawal.
Should we refund the guest during an open chargeback?
Check the provider’s process first to avoid reimbursing twice. Disclose any existing refund with its amount, date and transaction reference, and reconcile the final outcome.
Sources and checks
Checked 13 November 2026. Provider guidance is illustrative; the active case and applicable card-scheme rules determine submission requirements.
