The project dashboard is a free tool that is only available to verified hoteliers to make adopting new technology easier by streamlining their research and simplifying their communication workflow.
TLDR
We analyzed 44 verified hotelier reviews, compared feature sets, pricing, and real-world case studies to break down where each platform delivers. The right choice depends on your property type and priorities:
ChargeAutomation shines in ease of use and customer support , with exclusive features like GlobalPayments (Credit Card Processing) and Lobby Kiosk.
feratel media technologies AG shines .
Side-by-side ratings based on 44 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $200/mo | From $100/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 44 | 0 |
After analyzing 44 verified reviews, ChargeAutomation users most value its payment processing, contactless check-in, customer support, while feratel media technologies AG users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Payment Processing
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Contactless Check-in
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Customer Support
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Upselling Features
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Customization Limitations
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PMS Integration
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Customer Reviews
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How each product ranks among Contactless Check-in vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.
By Hotel Size
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| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | #6 13 reviews | — |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #5 16 reviews | — |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #6 5 reviews | — |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | #13 1 reviews | — |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #6 9 reviews | — |
| Luxury ▾ | #10 6 reviews | — |
| Branded / Chain | #9 4 reviews | — |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #3 18 reviews | — |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | #4 19 reviews | — |
| Europe ▾ | #6 20 reviews | — |
| Asia Pacific | #5 2 reviews | — |
Choosing between ChargeAutomation’s Online Check-in and feratel’s Contactless Check-in hinges on your hotel’s specific needs and operational priorities. Both solutions address contactless guest onboarding, but ChargeAutomation offers a broader set of features and a stronger market presence. Your decision should consider the scope of automation, integration, user experience, and support quality.
ChargeAutomation’s platform is more comprehensive, with more recent reviews and a significantly higher number of user feedback. Feratel’s offering, while solid, has limited recent reviews and a narrower feature focus. So, which product aligns best with your hotel’s goals?
ChargeAutomation and feratel both aim to streamline contactless check-in, reducing manual work and enhancing guest convenience. ChargeAutomation focuses on automating ID verification, payments, upselling, and guest communication, while feratel emphasizes digital guest registration, document scanning, and GDPR compliance.
Despite their similar core mission, ChargeAutomation’s extensive feature set, including upselling, custom questions, and PMS integration, surpasses feratel’s simpler form-based check-in. ChargeAutomation also boasts a higher review count (42 vs. zero) and more recent feedback, indicating a more active user base and ongoing improvements.
Will your hotel prioritize a feature-rich automation platform or a straightforward digital registration? The decision depends on your operational complexity and revenue goals.
If your hotel needs a versatile, all-in-one system that automates guest verification, payments, upselling, and integrates with your PMS, ChargeAutomation is the clear choice. It suits hotels with multiple property types, especially vacation rentals and extended stays, seeking to boost revenue through upselling and reduce manual work.
On the other hand, if your primary goal is a simple, GDPR-compliant digital check-in that replaces paper forms and minimizes data entry errors, feratel’s platform may suffice. It targets properties that prioritize compliance and basic contactless registration, especially in regions where GDPR is critical.
For hotels aiming for operational efficiency and revenue growth, ChargeAutomation’s extensive features and proven support make it the stronger option. If simplicity and compliance are your main concerns, feratel offers a functional, cost-effective solution.
ChargeAutomation scores high on ease of use, with a 4.71/5 rating and positive reviews highlighting its user-friendly interface and smooth onboarding. Users frequently mention how quickly staff adapt and how intuitive the system feels, even for non-technical team members.
In contrast, feratel’s platform has no recent review data, making it difficult to assess its usability. Its focus on digital forms and document scanning suggests a straightforward process, but the lack of user feedback leaves uncertainty.
Edge: ChargeAutomation.
ChargeAutomation’s offering includes 25 unique features, such as PCI compliance, multi-processor gateways, credit card processing integrations, self-service check-in/out, door lock integrations, upselling, custom questions, and automatic translations—many of which feratel lacks entirely.
Feratel’s platform provides essential contactless registration, document scanning, and GDPR compliance, but without the extensive automation, upselling, or integrations found in ChargeAutomation.
Edge: ChargeAutomation.
ChargeAutomation’s support has a 4.9/5 rating, with reviews praising its responsiveness and knowledgeable staff. Users describe the support as prompt, friendly, and capable of resolving issues quickly, which is critical for operational continuity.
Feratel has no recent reviews or support ratings available, making it difficult to evaluate their customer service. Given the importance of reliable support in contactless check-in solutions, ChargeAutomation’s proven support edge is significant.
Edge: ChargeAutomation.
ChargeAutomation boasts 18 verified integration partners, including major PMS and revenue management systems like RoomRaccoon, Mews, HotelTime, and Hotelogix. It offers extensive connectivity options to streamline operations and enhance automation.
Feratel has 13 verified partners, including RoomRaccoon, Profitroom, and TravelLine, but with fewer overall integrations. The broader and more diverse partner network makes ChargeAutomation more adaptable to different hotel tech stacks.
Edge: ChargeAutomation.
ChargeAutomation enjoys a 23.999/25 overall score, with 42 reviews and a 98% likelihood to recommend, indicating strong user satisfaction. Recent reviews praise its ease of use, automation, and support.
Feratel’s ratings are unavailable, and no recent reviews exist, limiting confidence in its current performance. Given the active feedback and high scores for ChargeAutomation, it’s clearly the higher-rated choice among hoteliers.
Edge: ChargeAutomation.
ChargeAutomation costs $200 monthly per property, with no free tier, trial, or additional fees, offering a transparent pricing model. Feratel’s platform is priced at $100, with no further details on billing structure or included features, making it less clear whether it provides comparable value.
Considering feature sets and support levels, ChargeAutomation’s higher price reflects its broader capabilities and market presence.
Not ideal if you prefer a simple, low-cost registration system without advanced automation or revenue features.
Not ideal if you need a platform with advanced revenue tools, integrations, or high customization.
ChargeAutomation stands out as the more comprehensive contactless check-in platform, with a higher review count, recent feedback, and a broader feature set. Its automation, integrations, and support quality make it suitable for hotels seeking operational efficiency and revenue growth.
Feratel provides a reliable, GDPR-friendly solution focusing on digital guest registration and document scanning. It’s best for properties with simple contactless needs and regional compliance requirements.
If your goal is to modernize guest onboarding with automation and upselling, ChargeAutomation is the clear choice. For basic digital registration needs with compliance focus, feratel can meet your expectations but offers less room for growth.
In summary, for most hotels looking to enhance guest experience and operational efficiency, ChargeAutomation’s richer feature set and proven support make it the preferable option.
Contactless Check-in pricing is rarely straightforward. Here is what we know from each vendor's public pricing data. Always request a custom quote for your property size.
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| Starting Price | From $200/mo | From $100/mo |
According to HTR's product database, ChargeAutomation Online Check-in and Feratel Contactless Check in share 5 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| Chase (Credit Card Processing) | ||
| First Data (Credit Card Processing) | ||
| Heartland (Credit Card Processing) | ||
| Multi-Processor Gateway | ||
| PCI Compliance | ||
| Vantiv (Credit Card Processing) |
Showing top differences. 13 more features differ between these products.
What hoteliers love
The software's automated payment processing feature is praised for handling payments, security deposits, and chargebacks. Users appreciate how it mini... The software's automated payment processing feature is praised for handling payments, security deposits, and chargebacks. Users appreciate how it minimizes fraud and error, saving time and reducing labor costs. Payment automation facilitates smoother operations and enhances financial security for both hotels and guests.
ChargeAutomation simplifies the check-in process with its robust contactless solution. Reviews frequently highlight how the system allows guests to co... ChargeAutomation simplifies the check-in process with its robust contactless solution. Reviews frequently highlight how the system allows guests to complete check-in remotely, reducing front desk traffic and wait times. This feature is especially beneficial in minimizing manual work, improving operational efficiency, and creating a better guest experience.
While support is generally praised for being responsive and helpful, a few reviews noted the need for improvements in response time and additional sup... While support is generally praised for being responsive and helpful, a few reviews noted the need for improvements in response time and additional support personnel. Good support is crucial for resolving issues quickly, thereby affecting the overall experience.
Where hoteliers push back
A critical point raised by some users is the need for more customization options. Reviews mention limitations in the ability to customize the guest po... A critical point raised by some users is the need for more customization options. Reviews mention limitations in the ability to customize the guest portal, email formats, and other interfaces. This lack of flexibility can impact how well the software meets specific needs of different properties.
Although several reviews highlight how ChargeAutomation seamlessly integrates with Property Management Systems (PMS), there are also some criticisms a... Although several reviews highlight how ChargeAutomation seamlessly integrates with Property Management Systems (PMS), there are also some criticisms about its PMS connectivity. Users report issues like synchrony problems and the need for more flexible information transfer capabilities.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. ChargeAutomation Online Check-in and Feratel Contactless Check in share many core Contactless Check-in features, but each has unique capabilities. ChargeAutomation Online Check-in offers 18 verified integration partners, while Feratel Contactless Check in offers 13. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. ChargeAutomation Online Check-in leads in ease of use at 4.7/5 vs 0.0/5. Look for transparent pricing and a trial or demo option. Filter reviews on each product page by property size to hear from hotels like yours.
ChargeAutomation Online Check-in: No. Feratel Contactless Check in: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Contactless Check-in vendors offer demos or trials — request one from each to evaluate before committing.
The HT Score is a composite ranking that considers 4 criteria groups and over a dozen variables to help hoteliers objectively compare hotel technology products. ChargeAutomation has an HT Score of 24 and feratel media technologies AG has 0. Here is how the score is calculated.
| Criteria Group | Weight | What It Measures |
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| Customer Ratings & Reviews |
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How highly do users recommend this product? Ratings Score, Review Volume, Share of Voice, Review Depth, Review Recency, Success Stories ▾ The most heavily weighted factor. Analyzes average satisfaction ratings (likelihood to recommend, ease of use, support, ROI), total review count relative to category peers, review recency (at least 20 reviews in the trailing 6 months), and share of voice across unique hotel clients to detect selection bias. |
| Partner Ecosystem |
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How highly do tech partners recommend this company? Partner Recommendations, Integration Quantity, Integration Quality ▾ Evaluates partner recommendations as expert votes of confidence, the number of verified integrations, and ecosystem quality — the average HT Scores of integration partners. Products with higher-quality integration ecosystems are more likely to deliver a connected tech stack. |
| Customer Centricity |
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How customer-centric is this organization? Certified Support, Review Consistency, Profile Completeness ▾ Assesses whether the company has earned HTR Customer Support Certification, maintains consistent review collection over time (an indicator of feedback-driven culture), and keeps product profiles complete with capabilities, screenshots, pricing, and features. |
| Reach, Staying Power & Resources |
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How extensive is this company's reach and resourcing? Geographic Reach, Staying Power, Company Resources, Trending Score ▾ Measures global presence (countries and regions served), years in business as a stability proxy, team headcount as a resource proxy, and a trending score based on trailing-twelve-month buyer inquiries, reviews, partner recommendations, and press activity. |
Customer ratings and reviews are by far the most important factor in the HT Score algorithm. HTR does not accept payment for higher rankings. All reviews are verified — only hotel industry practitioners with confirmed affiliations can submit ratings. View full HT Score methodology →
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