Track and process cancellations/refunds automatically

Purpose

1.1. Automate the end-to-end process of tracking, validating, and processing reservation cancellations and refunds for furnished apartment buildings, ensuring compliance with policy, accounting accuracy, guest communication, and real-time status updates.
1.2. Automating helps reduce manual workload, minimize errors, and speeds up refund timelines for guests, resulting in improved satisfaction and operational efficiency.
1.3. The automation automates multi-platform data capture, automatic policy checks, payment gateway reversals, guest notification, and dashboard logging—all without manual follow-up.

Trigger Conditions

2.1. Trigger initiates when a cancellation request is logged via CRM, booking portal, email, or phone system.
2.2. Secondary automator triggers on payment reversal confirmation from PSP or PMS API.
2.3. Automatedly triggers on missed check-in date or signal from property management system indicating non-arrival.

Platform Variants

3.1. Salesforce
- Feature/Setting: Flow Builder—automate cancellation case detection and automatically initiate refund task; API: Event Monitoring.
3.2. Stripe
- Feature/Setting: Payments API—automates refund transactions; Webhooks—automate status callbacks.
3.3. Twilio SMS
- Feature/Setting: Programmable Messaging—automatically notifies guests of processed cancellations/refunds.
3.4. HubSpot
- Feature/Setting: Workflow Automation—triggers refund process from CRM tickets.
3.5. QuickBooks Online
- Feature/Setting: Refund Receipt API—automates accounting for returned funds.
3.6. Zendesk
- Feature/Setting: Trigger Rules—automates opening/closing support tickets for cancellations.
3.7. Booking.com for Partners
- Feature/Setting: Webhooks—automate pulling confirmed cancellations; API: reservation-cancellation.
3.8. Expedia Partner Central
- Feature/Setting: EPS Rapid API—auto-poll reservations for cancellation status.
3.9. Google Sheets
- Feature/Setting: Apps Script—automates entry of cancellation records; Update automation via API.
3.10. Xero
- Feature/Setting: Refunds endpoint—automates pushing refunds for reconciliations.
3.11. Mailgun
- Feature/Setting: Email API—automate triggered guest confirmation emails.
3.12. Slack
- Feature/Setting: Incoming Webhooks—automated team channel alerts on cancellation events.
3.13. Microsoft Teams
- Feature/Setting: Bots—automate real-time notifications to finance desk.
3.14. DocuSign
- Feature/Setting: API—auto-send digital refund approval forms for signature.
3.15. Freshdesk
- Feature/Setting: Ticket Automation—automatically resolve or escalate refund queries.
3.16. PayPal
- Feature/Setting: Refund API—automated refund for bookings paid via PayPal.
3.17. Square
- Feature/Setting: Refunds API—automate mobile and in-person refund flows.
3.18. Airbnb API
- Feature/Setting: Reservation webhook—automates updates on cancellations; API: reservation_cancelled event.
3.19. Zapier
- Feature/Setting: Multi-step Zaps—automate chain between booking engines, emails, and accounting systems.
3.20. Oracle OPERA PMS
- Feature/Setting: OPERA Web Services—automate push/pull of cancellation data to property management backend.
3.21. Monday.com
- Feature/Setting: Automations Center—triggers tasks and update boards for refund approval status.

Benefits

4.1. Automating these flows reduces refund processing time and eliminates delays.
4.2. Automation increases accuracy of accounting and audit trails.
4.3. Automator removes manual data-entry errors and prevents missed or duplicated refunds.
4.4. Automated notifications increase transparency for guests and teams.
4.5. Scalability—automation handles volume spikes autonomously without additional FTEs.