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This article covers creating a new ongoing reservation. To convert an existing Standard reservation to Ongoing, see: Convert Short Term Reservations to Ongoing Reservations..
Last Updated: March 20, 2026
Quick Links
Ongoing Reservations through the Reservation Portal
Ongoing Reservations through the Front Desk
Recurring Charges for Ongoing Reservations
Utility Charges for Ongoing Reservations
Overview
Firefly gives you full control over your property's ongoing reservations. You choose if you want guests to book themselves on the reservation portal, book directly with staff, or have both options. You also have options to save time managing ongoing reservations through Firefly's automations. You can set up automatic monthly charges, automatic payments, and automatic notification emails.
TIP: When thinking of Standard Reservations vs Ongoing Reservations we like to give the example of Airline bookings. ✈
Standard Reservations are a round trip with an arrival and departure required.
Ongoing Reservations are a one way trip with only an arrival required.
Ongoing Reservations through the Reservation Portal
Through the set up options below, you may allow guests to book ongoing reservations themselves on the reservation portal - without having to call or email the park.
- On the main menu, click the Settings dropdown > select Property
- Click on the Reservations Tab
- Set the "Reservation Types Accepted (From the Reservation Portal)" setting
- select "Standard" if you only want guests to book stays with an arrival and departure
- select "Ongoing" if you only want indefinite stays - reservations with no departure date
- select "All" if you want guests to book Standard and Ongoing reservations on the portal
CAUTION: Be sure to select the reservation type you desire to be booked online.
As used above, the phrase "Standard" refers to reservations with an arrival and departure date. These may be short or long stays, with guests staying just a few days or months at a time.
An "Ongoing" reservation is an indefinite stay with only an arrival date.
The phrase "long term" is often used to refer to reservations lasting weeks or months, which can include both Standard and Ongoing reservations.
Ongoing Reservations through the Front Desk
You may restrict ongoing reservations to be booked only through staff, referred to as a Front Desk reservation in Firefly. To create an ongoing reservation in Firefly as a staff user, you begin the process the same as you do standard reservations. However, there is one difference - you will leave the Departure Date blank. No departure date blocks out the unit for the indefinite future (or as far out as Firefly goes) so that you don't run into any double bookings down the road.
To book a new reservation internally, we have a help article here.
NOTE: An short term reservation can be easily converted to ongoing - you do not need to make a new reservation. Check out this article for the steps and a video walkthrough: Convert Short Term Reservation to Ongoing.
Recurring Charges for Ongoing Reservations
Once an ongoing reservation is created, click the Charges tab on the reservation detail page. Below the summary box, you will see the Recurring Charges section that displays the setup of recurring charges and Charges section that displays charges applied to the reservation and the .
When a new ongoing reservation is booked, a new charge for the first month's stay is in the Charges section. The recurring charge's setup that will create a new charge automatically for future months is in the recurring charges section.
The new charge applied to the reservation is ready for a payment to be added, and may already have a payment if a deposit was required when the reservation was made.
IMPORTANT: If the posted charge of a new ongoing reservation is not paid in full by a deposit or does not show a scheduled payment to pay it in full, you will need to manually make a payment. If the payment needs to be processed on a future date, you can set up a scheduled payment for later.
TIP: For more information about recurring charges, see: Create and Manage Recurring Charges.
Edit a Recurring Charge
You may edit a recurring charge's setup at any time. Navigate to the reservation's Charges tab and identify the recurring charge. On the recurring charge's setup, click the 3 dots then Edit.
Edit a recurring charge
You will see the Edit Recurring Charge dialog box, as shown here.
In the Options section at the bottom, check Send email notification for every new charge created checkbox to send the guest an email every time a new charge is created. Check the Auto process payment checkbox for the payment to automatically process each month. Check the Send email notification of upcoming payment and process in x days checkbox to send an email to the guest letting them know their payment will automatically process in x days.
Check each one of these options to completely automate monthly rent payments for your long term guests. Each month, they will automatically be notified of new rent payment that is due, notify them the payment is scheduled, and will automatically process the payment.
This is 100% automated which means ZERO work is required by you!
Read more about editing recurring charges here: Create and Manage a Recurring Charge.
Utility Charges for Ongoing Reservations
Many campgrounds pass through utilities use charges to guests staying long term. This means utilities have to be recorded once a month. Firefly makes recording utility payment extremely easy.
First, select Reservations > Record Utilities. Select the Utility and Read date.
Next, if you would like to create automatic scheduled payments for each utility reading you record, specify the payment options that should be used for all payments.
Finally, go down the list of units and record the utility meter reading.
Record utility readings and schedule payments for eachOn the left, choose which guest is responsible for the utility usage and should receive the charge. If you only want to record the reading without making anybody pay, choose Do not charge.
On the right, enter the current reading in the Current box. Check the checkbox next the the predefined payment options if you want to schedule a payment. Click Save to complete the utility recording and the schedule the payment.
Charge and schedule payment created from utility recording
If you navigate to the Charges section of the reservation detail page for a reservation that you just recorded a utility and scheduled a payment for, you will see a new charge created and a payment scheduled.
End an Ongoing Reservation
An ongoing reservation is properly ended in just a handful of steps. Each one is essential to allow new reservations in the unit, keep the park's accounting data accurate, and ensure the guest receives no unnecessary charges to their reservation or payment method on file. This process usually occurs in two steps: when notified for an intended departure date, and on the day of departure or soon after.
It is important to update the reservation's stay dates as soon as possible to show the unit available for a new guest. Then, on the day of departure or shortly after the guest leaves, you want to be sure you finalize all charges and close out deposits. This keeps Firefly's revenue data accurate.
IMPORTANT: Checking a guest out will not end the ongoing reservation or complete any of the steps listed below.
When notified of a departure date:
- Change the reservation's stay dates to include the planned departure. On the reservation's Units tab, click the unit's Options dropdown and select "Change Stay Dates".
On the day of departure or shortly after, follow these 4 quick steps to close out charges:
- Record the final meter reading and add any necessary add-ons.
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Pay unpaid charges, like final electric charges or clean-up fees, by transferring funds from the deposit's original payment.
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Pay unpaid POS transactions charged to the reservation by refunding to reservation credit then paying the POS transaction with reservation credit.
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Refund overpaid charges or the remaining deposit once you have ensured there are no outstanding balances.
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Finally, zero out the deposit charge so there is no balance due. It is necessary to zero out the charge as the stay has ended and the guest no longer owes the deposit.
CAUTION: Be sure to record the guest's final utility reading and post all applicable charges before refunding the deposit. If you forget to post final charges first, you may have to make a new payment for outstanding balances.
TIP: For more information about utility or security deposits, see: Create and Manage a Security or Utility Deposit.
🙋♀️ Still need help? Email: support@fireflyreservations.com and one of our technicians can help answer your questions.
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