A card that is valid only during a specific time window
A portal card is not a guest card. It has a limit, a menu, and a start date from which you can use it. The front desk, which sees it as a number in an email, will either process it too early—and the payment will fail—or too late—and the guest will already be gone.
Charging at the time of booking, not at the front desk
A reservation from the channel manager comes with virtual card details. The charge goes through the payment flow linked to that reservation, based on the total cost of the stay, not on an amount someone estimated from the screen. Once the payment goes through, the accommodation’s account sees it.
It’s still true that the portal has its own rules for when it releases the card. The system won’t bypass their terms and conditions. This saves you from having to re-enter information and avoids digit errors.
