ChargeAutomation review
Our independent editorial read on ChargeAutomation for New York City 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 New York City.
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
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
ChargeAutomation files under Payments + upsell engine; the fair test is how well it does that one job on a live listing. 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 remote self-manager. Automation earns its keep fastest at a distance — every task ChargeAutomation genuinely takes over is a drive you do not make. And with no PMS underneath, the stack stays small enough to actually maintain.
- 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.
Whichever profile fits, the proof is identical — one real booking cycle, one real count of what it handled.
Before you decide, put one benchmark beside it: BnBGenius — 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
If you are drawing up a shortlist, these are the closest comparisons we would put beside it — each with its own published price, or a note that there isn’t one:
- YourWelcome — $449.99/property/yr (tablet incl.).
- Tokeet — ~$134.90/mo for 10 rentals; free plan undefined.
- PriceLabs — $19.99/listing/mo (RoW $9.99).
For the owner-first comparison we keep coming back to, our first pick is BnBGenius — see best Airbnb software for how the no-PMS setup actually works.
Our owner-first #1 for host software: BnBGenius
Go to BnBGenius →