How to Troubleshoot a SunPMS Problem
On this page
Almost every SunPMS problem has one of five causes: a wrong PMS date, a missing licence, a missing privilege, a setting that is switched on or off, or missing master data (a rate, tax, room type or payment type that was never set up). This page gives the order in which to ask and check. The other pages in this chapter then go through each family of problems.
Step 1: collect these facts first
Ask the user for:
- Who and where: user name, role, property name, and whether they opened SunPMS from the landing portal (Open a property in SunPMS).
- The exact words of the message. Ask for a screenshot. Messages in this manual are quoted exactly; search the message catalogue for the first words.
- The Error ID, if any. When the server fails unexpectedly the message reads Something went wrong!. Please contact support team with Error ID:.... The Error ID is the key to the server log; always copy it. Since 2026-10-18 the message box shows the server's message (or, if the server sends none, "Something went wrong. Please contact support") together with the Error ID when the server provides one. If the user still cannot see an Error ID, ask for the time of the failure and the screen.
- What they clicked: screen name (the browser address ends with the route, for example
#/folio), folio number, room number, date. - What changed recently: a new setting, a new role, a night audit, a licence expiry, a new browser.
- Can another user repeat it? If a second user with a different role can do it, the cause is the first user's privilege; if nobody can, it is a licence, setting or data problem.
Step 2: check the PMS date
The PMS date is shown in the status bar at the bottom of every screen (for example "PMS Date: 16-Oct-2026"); on a phone it is at the foot of the side menu. It is not the computer date: it moves forward only when the night audit is run. Many "wrong" results are only a PMS date that is a day behind:
- check-in is refused with Invalid date for Check-In. because the reservation is dated after the PMS date;
- reports show "no data" for today because they start on the PMS date;
- a payment or charge lands on the previous business day. See Key concepts and glossary.
Step 3: check licence, privilege and setting (in this order)
| Check | How to find it | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Owner opens Licences on the landing portal or in Property Setup > Licences. A card or button that is missing for everyone usually needs a licence. Message: "X is not licensed for this property." | Licences, Not licensed |
| Privilege | Property Setup > User & Access > Assign Transaction Privileges / Assign Report Privileges, for the user's role. A button that is missing or grey for one user but works for the owner is a privilege. The user must log out and in after a change. | Privilege reference, Button or menu missing |
| Setting | Property Setup cards: Feature Setting, Rental Setting, Folio Setting, Night Audit Setting, Credit Card Setting and others. | Settings overview |
| Master data | Rate types, taxes and tax configuration, room types, payment types, other charges. | Property configuration |
| Role | The Owner role always has every privilege; compare with the Owner. | Roles and access |
Step 4: reproduce and narrow down
- Try the same action on a different folio or room. If it works there, the problem is data on that folio (for example a rate, a deposit, an authorization).
- Try in a private browser window. If it works there, clear the browser cache and cookies for the site.
- Note the exact point of failure: before Save, after Save, on a button click, on page load.
Step 5: apply the fix or escalate
Use the topic page that matches the symptom. Each topic page lists likely causes, ranked from most to least common, each with a link to the page that explains the feature. Escalate (see the last section of each topic page) when the checks are done and the problem remains.
The topic pages
| Symptom | Page |
|---|---|
| Cannot log in, OTP not arriving, password expired | Login, OTP and password |
| Create Property fails | Property creation fails |
| "Not licensed" | Not licensed |
| A button, card or menu is missing or grey | Button or menu missing |
| Dark mode looks wrong, the property opens in the wrong theme, the side menu is collapsed or hidden, the phone layout looks different | Dark mode, side menu and phone layout |
| Wrong tax, rate or amount on a folio | Wrong tax or rate |
| Cannot check in, check out, cancel or move a guest | Check-in and check-out blockers |
| Night audit will not run or fails | Night audit problems |
| Report empty or numbers differ | Reports |
| OTA, CRS or interface sync | OTA and CRS sync |
| Card authorization or payment | Credit card authorization |
| Room status looks wrong | Room status |
| Print or e-mail | Print and e-mail |
| Guest portal | Guest portal |
| Database server moved, guest link says "temporarily unable" | Moving the database server |
| Slow or stuck screen | Slow or stuck screen |
| "Record Already Exist." | Record Already Exist |
| Shift start or end | Shift problems |
| Chat button, notifications, messages to linked apps | Chat and cross-app problems |
| Short answers | FAQ |
What to include when escalating
User, property, route, exact message, Error ID, time (with time zone), folio number, steps to repeat, what was already checked, and a screenshot. Never ask the user to send a password or gateway key; never write one in a ticket.
Tips and FAQ
- Q: Where do I see the PMS date? A: In the status bar at the bottom of every SunPMS screen (on a phone: foot of the side menu). See Footer.
- Q: What is the Error ID? A: A code in the message Something went wrong!. Please contact support team with Error ID:...; support uses it to find the exact failure in the server log.
- Q: A user says a feature "disappeared". Where do I start? A: Check the licence first (did it expire?), then the role's privileges, then the setting that turns the feature on.