Guest Experience Software Pricing Explained: Models and Real Costs
Guest experience software pricing usually combines four parts: a monthly fee per property, a flat platform fee, payment processing fees and sometimes a share of upsell revenue. Some vendors also sell add-ons or quote enterprise prices on request. The total a property pays depends on its unit count, its booking volume and how much it sells through the guest portal.
This guide explains each pricing model, the hidden costs to check before you sign and a worked example with real published rates. The example uses the ChargeAutomation pricing page, checked in October 2026, and prices can change. For a feature-first view, see our guide on how to choose hospitality software for guest experience.
Key Takeaways
Guest experience software is usually priced with a per-property fee, a flat platform fee, payment processing fees and sometimes a fee on upsell sales.
ChargeAutomation's Basic plan costs $0 a month with no subscription fee, plus optional processing at 1% + $0.25 and a 10% upsell fee.
ChargeAutomation Essentials costs $5 per property per month plus a $49 platform fee, or $4 and $39 when billed annually.
ChargeAutomation Professional costs $8 per property per month plus a $149 platform fee, or $6 and $99 annually, with a 3% upsell fee.
Because the platform fee is flat, the cost per property falls as a portfolio grows, so compare vendors on total cost, not the headline rate.
How Is Guest Experience Software Pricing Structured?
Guest experience platforms build their price from a few common parts. The first is a subscription fee per property, per unit or per room, billed monthly or yearly. The second is a platform or account fee that stays the same no matter how many units you add. Together, these two parts set your fixed monthly bill.
Payment processing is the third part, and it changes with your volume. A vendor may add its own fee on each payment it handles, on top of what your payment gateway charges. Some vendors process payments themselves, while others connect to the gateway you already use, such as Stripe or Adyen.
The fourth part is a fee on upsell revenue, such as early check-in or late checkout sales. Some vendors that take a share of upsells lower it on higher plans. Enterprise plans for large hotel groups may be quoted on request rather than published.
Each model rewards a different kind of property. A per-property fee suits small portfolios, while a flat platform fee spreads better across many units. A fee on payments or upsells means you pay more only when you earn more.
Most guest experience software bills combine some of these line items:
Per-property or per-unit subscription fee
Flat monthly platform or account fee
Vendor fee on each processed payment
Your own payment gateway or processor fees
Percentage fee on upsell sales
Add-ons such as extra users or storage
Custom enterprise quote for large groups
Which Hidden Costs Change Guest Experience Software Pricing?
The biggest hidden costs are payment fees, upsell fees and plan limits that force an upgrade. A low subscription can cost more overall if the vendor takes a large share of each payment or upsell. Always model your real booking volume before you compare plans.
Plan limits are the next thing to check. Users, storage, custom questions and whose guest documents you can collect can all differ by tier. A hotel that must check ID for every adult guest may need a higher plan than the price list suggests.
Contract terms matter too. Ask whether the price needs a yearly commitment, how much annual billing saves and what happens when a trial ends. Also ask whether the vendor holds your funds or pays them straight into your own gateway account.
Hotel software cost also includes staff time. ChargeAutomation users report saving up to 30 minutes per booking when check-in and payments run on their own. That saving never shows up on the invoice, but it often outweighs the monthly fee.
Ask every vendor these pricing questions before you sign:
Is the fee per property, per unit or per room?
Is there a flat platform fee on top?
What is the fee on each processed payment?
Do you take a share of upsell revenue?
Which limits apply to users, storage and guest documents?
How much does annual billing save?
What happens when the free trial ends?
Do funds go straight to my own gateway?
What ChargeAutomation Costs: Plans, Fees and Real Examples
ChargeAutomation publishes four plans: Basic, Essentials, Professional and Enterprise. Basic costs $0 per month with no subscription fee, with optional payment processing at 1% + $0.25 and a 10% upsell fee. Essentials costs $5 per property per month plus a $49 platform fee. Its optional processing rate is 0.3% + $0.25, and its upsell fee is 7%.
Professional costs $8 per property per month plus a $149 platform fee, with processing at 0.15% + $0.25 and a 3% upsell fee. Annual billing lowers each rate, to $4 and $39 on Essentials and $6 and $99 on Professional. The page labels annual billing as a 25% saving, but the real saving varies by plan and portfolio size. Enterprise pricing for large chains is quoted on request.
Here is what a 10-property operator would pay before payment and upsell fees. On Essentials, that is 10 x $5 plus $49, or $99 a month, or $79 billed annually, about 20% less. On Professional, it is $229 a month, or $159 billed annually, about 31% less. At 50 properties on annual Essentials, the bill is $239 a month, about $4.78 per property.
ChargeAutomation does not hold your funds, because payments flow through your connected gateway. The platform supports 130+ gateways, including Stripe, PayPal, Adyen, Worldpay and Elavon, so you can automate payments with the provider you already use. Basic includes one user, Essentials allows 10 users and documents from all guests, and Professional adds unlimited users and priority support. Start for free at chargeautomation.com.
ChargeAutomation’s published pricing includes:
Basic: $0 per month with no subscription fee
Essentials: $5 per property plus a $49 platform fee
Professional: $8 per property plus a $149 platform fee
Annual billing: $4 and $39, or $6 and $99
Optional payment processing from 1% + $0.25 down to 0.15% + $0.25
Upsell fees of 10%, 7% or 3% by plan
Enterprise pricing on request
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does guest experience software cost for a hotel?
Guest experience software for a hotel usually costs a monthly subscription plus fees on payments and upsells. As one published example, ChargeAutomation ranges from $0 on Basic to $8 per property plus a $149 platform fee on Professional, billed monthly. Large hotel groups usually get a custom enterprise quote.
Is there free guest experience software for vacation rentals?
Yes, some vendors offer a free tier. ChargeAutomation's Basic plan costs $0 per month with no subscription fee. You pay only the listed fees when you process payments or sell upsells, plus your gateway's own rates. Small hosts can use it to test online check-in and upselling tools first.
What is a platform fee in hotel software pricing?
A platform fee is a flat monthly charge for the account, paid on top of any per-property fee. It stays the same whether you run 5 units or 50, so it weighs more on small portfolios. ChargeAutomation lists a $49 platform fee on Essentials and $149 on Professional, or $39 and $99 billed annually.
Does a guest experience platform charge fees on payments?
Some platforms do, on top of your payment gateway's own rates. ChargeAutomation lists optional payment processing at 1% + $0.25 on Basic, 0.3% + $0.25 on Essentials and 0.15% + $0.25 on Professional. The rate falls as the plan rises, which helps properties with high payment volume.
Is ChargeAutomation pricing too expensive for large portfolios?
No, the cost per property falls as a portfolio grows, because the platform fee is flat. On annual Essentials, 10 properties cost $79 a month, about $7.90 each, while 50 properties cost $239, about $4.78 each. Professional also lowers the upsell fee to 3%.
