Hotel Management Japan Co., Ltd. Introduces "Payn" to Automate Cancellation Fee Billing and Collection

Payn Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Kyohei Yamashita; hereinafter referred to as "the Company"), which provides "Payn," a service that automates the billing and collection of cancellation fees, has been implemented at accommodation facilities operated by Hotel Management Japan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Junichi Araki).

"Payn": Automating Cancellation Fee Billing and Collection

The Company offers "Payn," a billing tool that automates the process of billing and collecting cancellation fees for businesses that set cancellation policies, such as hotels and restaurants.

"Payn" Official Website

https://payn.io

Industries where reservations are common, particularly hotels and restaurants, face numerous issues related to cancellations. These include no-shows (guests who do not arrive without notice), the operational burden of billing cancellation fees, and non-payment of cancellation fees even when billed. These various problems plague businesses.

To address these issues, Payn Inc. was founded in March 2022, and "Payn," which automates cancellation fee billing and collection, was released in October of the same year. It is currently used by a variety of businesses.

Furthermore, in 2026, the Company will begin offering free public access to the "Practical Handbook for Cancellation Fee Billing and Collection," created with legal supervision from GVA Law Firm and cooperation from industry associations. This initiative aims to support all businesses in developing policies based on legal grounds, implementing preventive measures to minimize cancellation damages, and engaging in awareness activities for sustainable development.

Cancellation Fee Billing and Collection Practical Handbook is available here (https://payn.io/#resources)

Comment from Shingo Sato, Senior Manager of the Reservation Desk, Revenue Management Department, Hotel Management Japan Co., Ltd.

Shingo Sato, Senior Manager of the Reservation Desk, Revenue Management Department

I expect Payn to be a tool that resolves all kinds of "pains" in various situations in the future.

Since its establishment in 2005, the Company has been involved in the management and operation of hotels nationwide. In addition to its own brands such as "Oriental Hotel" and "Hotel Oriental Express," it is a multi-brand operator that manages a diverse range of domestic and international brands, including Hilton, Sheraton, Hyatt, Nikko, and Holiday Inn.

In June 2024, we began a trial implementation. We selected "Oriental Hotel Universal City," a theme park-style hotel where the amount per case is large and the possibility of recovering revenue by reselling the canceled room is low, as the test store. Upon actual use, we immediately confirmed that the operation method was extremely simple and that the on-site operations could be carried out without any problems. Although we initially planned for a test period of at least three months, after one month of operation, we found no negative reactions from guests and, most importantly, confirmed the ease of operation. Therefore, we decided to shorten the test period and move to the next step. The following month, we immediately began expanding to other hotels, and since then, we have gradually increased the number of implemented hotels, and are currently operating in 12 hotels.

In my position, I have been involved with the issue of reservations and cancellations for a long time. When a cancellation occurs, the front desk contacts the reservation team. Frankly, billing cancellation fees has always been a task with a negative image for hotel staff. If Payn is operated properly, it will reduce the number of cases where hotels give up without billing, and for guests, if they pay properly, they can use the services with confidence next time. I was deeply impressed that it is a tool that holds the potential for both the hotel and the guest to move forward without hesitation.

At the beginning of the implementation, we had concerns that "we might receive complaints from customers about receiving billing notices." However, once we started, there were no complaints, and the perception of "doing troublesome work" that the staff had has completely disappeared. Moreover, fortunately, resort hotels and theme park hotels, which we identified as challenges, have shown relatively high recovery rates.

Departments like our Reservation Desk primarily focus on organizing information before guest stays and do not typically generate revenue directly. However, cancellation fees, if collected, are 100% profit. The fact that we are "directly contributing to the company's sales as a Reservation Desk" through the introduction of Payn has become a major motivator. In other words, we have been able to advance our reservation operations by "creating sales from the back office."

Interview article here

Hotel Management Japan Co., Ltd. Case Study (https://payn.io/customers/orientalhotels)

Profile of Representative

Payn Inc. Kyohei Yamashita, Representative Director and CEO Born in Yokohama. After working at Yahoo and founding the startup "Cansell," a service for buying and selling accommodation reservations, he established Payn Inc. in March 2022. Although Cansell raised several hundred million yen in funding and was selected as one of Toyo Keizai's "Amazing Ventures 100," its business situation worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, leading to the company's bankruptcy in March 2022. Leveraging these experiences, he founded Payn Inc. and is challenging new endeavors. This is his second startup.

Company Overview

Company Name: Payn Inc. Address: 5-1 Nihonbashi Kabutocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Representative: Kyohei Yamashita, Representative Director and CEO Established: March 2022 Company HP: https://payn.io/about