ChargeAutomation review
Our independent editorial read on ChargeAutomation for North Carolina short-term-rental owners.
★★★★☆ 3.6 · 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
ChargeAutomation is one host software tool we track for owners weighing their options in North Carolina.
Our take
We list ChargeAutomation’s own published details below; where a figure is not published, we say so rather than guess.
How it compares to BnBGenius
Side by side on published terms: ChargeAutomation lists Free (10% fee); $5/prop+$49/mo → $8/prop+$149/mo, while BnBGenius lists free for the first 500 messages, then $10/month flat, with no PMS required. Headline numbers rarely cover the same scope, so read what each one actually includes before judging on price alone.
Reading the record
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. Test path: the free tier on a single listing, through at least one busy weekend. On cost, the published Free (10% fee); $5/prop+$49/mo → $8/prop+$149/mo is the number to hold against your own hours saved.
Same tool, two situations
- 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 one-listing host. At one property, tooling should cost minutes and pocket change — check what ChargeAutomation’s model costs at your actual size, not at the portfolio scale the marketing pictures.
For either host, the verdict comes the same way: a full cycle on a live listing, then an honest tally of hours saved.
Our advice before any contract: hold it against a benchmark — BnBGenius Voice — 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. Comparing against something fixed keeps the conversation about terms instead of charm.
Verdict
A solid option to compare — but for an owner-first alternative we would start with 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
Worth putting on the same shortlist. We have listed what each one publishes, and where nothing is published we say so:
- DPGO — $18/listing/mo, or 0.5%/booking, or $1/night; 30-day trial.
- Chekin — From €3.95/property/mo (3-unit min) + txn fees.
- Lodgix — From $79.99/mo (1–7 props) + 0.5% OTA fee; 30-day trial.
For the owner-first comparison we keep coming back to, our first pick is BnBGenius — see automate the busywork for how the no-PMS setup actually works.
Our owner-first #1 for host software: BnBGenius
View BnBGenius →