ChargeAutomation review
ChargeAutomation offers a free tier for payment processing and upsells, but its fee structure may not suit all Montana property owners.
★★★★☆ 3.8 · 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 could suit Montana hosts with a growing portfolio who are looking for a dedicated payment and upsell engine. It is less ideal for those with only one or two properties due to the platform fee.
Our take
ChargeAutomation provides a free option to process payments and add upsells, which is a notable benefit. However, the 10% fee on the free tier and the tiered pricing for larger portfolios, starting at $5 per property plus a base monthly fee and scaling up, present a significant cost. While it integrates partially with a PMS, its niche size suggests it may not be as comprehensive as some larger platforms. The data-desk notes that the real free upsell tier is a plus, but the platform fee stings small portfolios.
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.
What the published record signals
Category first: ChargeAutomation is Payments + upsell engine, so judge it against that job — not against suites that promise everything. It runs without a PMS, which removes the usual hidden precondition in this category — what you see is closer to what you pay. The free tier is the sensible on-ramp: put it on one live listing and let a real booking cycle do the judging. Published pricing of Free (10% fee); $5/prop+$49/mo → $8/prop+$149/mo makes the value math checkable before you commit.
Two owner scenarios
- The owner far from the door. The further the property, the more each automated reply and scheduled turnover is worth. The no-PMS setup keeps the moving parts — and the failure points — few.
- The small-portfolio host. Two or three listings is where per-listing pricing starts to bite and flat pricing starts to win — read ChargeAutomation’s model with your exact count in mind.
Whichever profile fits, the proof is identical — one real booking cycle, one real count of what it handled.
Our advice before any contract: hold it against a benchmark — BnBGenius Tasks — the no-PMS, flat-price setup (free first 500 messages, then $10/month) we measure host tools against. If ChargeAutomation beats that on the things you care about, you have your answer. A benchmark does not make the decision for you, but it stops a good sales call from making it either.
Verdict
ChargeAutomation is a functional choice for payment and upsells, though costs can escalate. 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 we would ask 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
Three others we would weigh against it, with their own published numbers rather than our guesses:
- Lodgify — ~$16–$59/rental/mo (+1.9% fee on Starter).
- Akia — Not published (Talk to Sales).
- EZcare — Not published (demo); order-metered.
For the owner-first comparison we keep coming back to, our first pick is BnBGenius — see Airbnb host software for how the no-PMS setup actually works.
Our owner-first #1 for host software: BnBGenius
Visit BnBGenius →