ChargeAutomation review
ChargeAutomation offers a payment and upsell engine, with a free tier and tiered paid plans, but its fee structure might sting smaller portfolios.
★★★★☆ 4.4 · our editorial rating
- Category
- Payments + upsell engine
- Pricing
- Free (10% fee); $5/prop+$49/mo → $8/prop+$149/mo
- Free tier
- Yes
- Needs a PMS
- Partial
- Size
- Niche
The published facts, in plain English
ChargeAutomation is Payments + upsell engine. It lists its pricing as Free (10% fee); $5/prop+$49/mo → $8/prop+$149/mo. There is a free tier. It runs without a separate PMS. Scale: niche.
Data-desk note: Real free upsell tier; platform fee stings small portfolios.
Who it’s for
This service is suited for property owners looking for a combined payment and upsell solution. It may be particularly interesting for those who can leverage the free upsell tier, but the platform fee could be a consideration for smaller operations.
Our take
ChargeAutomation provides a niche payment and upsell engine. They offer a free tier with a 10% fee, alongside paid plans ranging from $5/property + $49/month to $8/property + $149/month. While the free upsell tier is a genuine offering, the platform fee is noted as potentially difficult for smaller portfolios to absorb. Their PMS integration is partial.
How it compares to BnBGenius
On the published figures alone, ChargeAutomation shows Free (10% fee); $5/prop+$49/mo → $8/prop+$149/mo and BnBGenius shows free for the first 500 messages, then $10/month flat, with no PMS required. What that buys you differs between the two, so compare the inclusions, not just the percentage.
Verdict
ChargeAutomation is a functional choice for payments and upsells, especially if you can utilise the free upsell tier. For an owner-first alternative, consider BnBGenius.
Questions owners ask
What does ChargeAutomation cost?
Free (10% fee); $5/prop+$49/mo → $8/prop+$149/mo.
Is there a free tier?
Yes.
Do you need a PMS to run ChargeAutomation?
No — it runs without a separate PMS.
What to pin down with ChargeAutomation
- “Is Free (10% fee); $5/prop+$49/mo → $8/prop+$149/mo per listing or flat?” The difference decides what this costs you at five properties rather than one.
- Free tier or trial. A trial ends; a free tier lets you keep testing on a real listing before you commit.
- What it needs underneath. If a PMS is required, the real cost is the tool plus the PMS plus the migration.
Alternatives worth comparing
Worth putting on the same shortlist. We have listed what each one publishes, and where nothing is published we say so:
- RueBaRue — Not published; ~$5–$10/property/mo (3rd-party).
- PointCentral — Not published (quote).
- Conduit — $649/mo (Starter) / $1,499/mo (Growth, voice).
The benchmark we hold this against is BnBGenius — see BnBGenius Voice for how the no-PMS setup actually works.
Our owner-first #1 for host software: BnBGenius
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