BEO reconciliation
Compare every BEO to the final invoice.
The banquet event order is the working contract for each function: menu, count, room, times, staffing, AV. When the bill doesn't match the BEO, the question is usually which BEO.
The short answer
To compare a BEO to the invoice, match each banquet check to its BEO number. Then check the menu price per person, the billed count against the guarantee and the actual count, add-ons like bartenders or extra hours, and the service charge and tax on that check.
Before you start, make sure you have the final approved version of each BEO. Most BEO disputes come from revisions: a count lowered on revision 3 that was billed at revision 1, or an added coffee refresh that was later cancelled.
What's on a BEO, and what to check on the bill
| BEO field | Why it matters for billing | Check on the banquet check |
|---|---|---|
| BEO number and revision | Identifies the function and version | The check references the same BEO and the latest approved revision |
| Guarantee | The count you're billed for at minimum | Billed count = the greater of guarantee and actual, if that's your contract's rule |
| Menu and price per person | The agreed unit price | Price billed per person or per item matches |
| Times | Service length; bar hours; labor | Extra hours billed only if the function actually ran longer |
| Staffing | Bartenders, attendants, chefs, captains | Quantity and rate as listed; labor minimums as stated |
| AV and room setup | Equipment and setup ordered for this function | No duplicate charges on the AV invoice |
| Service charge and tax note | The percentage and taxable status for this function | Applied to the right base. See service charge audit |
Which BEO governs?
Most events produce several BEO versions. Hotels issue revisions as counts, menus and timings change, sometimes up to the day of the function. The version that governs billing is generally the last one both sides approved, which isn't always the one with the latest date or the word "Final" in the file name.
Keep every version and note which were signed or approved by email. When a revision changes a price or a count, the earlier term is replaced. When you can't tell whether the revision was approved, treat the difference as a question, not an error.
FolioMatch works through this explicitly. It groups BEO versions, lists what changed between them with page references, and marks each term as active, replaced or unclear. A finding that depends on unclear precedence is always marked Needs review, and you can mark a version as authoritative yourself.
A revised count billed at the old number
Revision 3 of the gala dinner BEO lowered the guarantee. The banquet check used revision 2.
Sample data · Illustrative
- BEO #4102 rev. 2: guarantee (superseded)
- 320 guests
- BEO #4102 rev. 3: guarantee, approved by email (p. 1)
- 290 guests
- Actual attendance (hotel count)
- 284 guests
- Billed count (banquet check p. 22)
- 320 guests
- Correct billable count (greater of guarantee and actual)
- 290 guests
- 30 guests × $142.00 dinner price
- +$4,260.00
BEO reconciliation checklist
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Every banquet check has a BEO
A check without a matching BEO is either an onsite addition or an error. Ask which.
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Every BEO has at most one check
Two checks for one function can mean a duplicate posting.
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Counts follow the guarantee rule
Billed on the greater of guarantee and actual, or exactly as your contract states.
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Prices match the final revision
Menu changes between revisions change the price per person.
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Labor matches the staffing lines
Bartender and attendant counts, hours and minimums. Extra staff added onsite may be legitimate. Confirm who approved it.
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Service charge and tax use the BEO's base
Recalculate at least one check by hand to confirm the method.
BEO terms
- BEO (banquet event order)
- The hotel's document for one function, listing everything the hotel will provide and charge for it.
- Guarantee
- The final count you commit to, usually 72 hours before the function.
- Overset
- The extra places a hotel sets above the guarantee, often 3–5%. It usually isn't billed unless those places are used.
- Banquet check
- The bill for one function, posted to the master account.
- Labor charge
- A fee for bartenders, attendants or chefs, often with a minimum number of hours.
Function by function, not the whole bill at once
The reliable way to reconcile F&B is one function at a time. Take the first banquet check, find its BEO, and work through count, price, add-ons, labor and service charge until that check ties out or you have a specific question. Then move to the next. Trying to reconcile "F&B" as one lump is how a wrong count on a Tuesday breakfast hides inside a plausible-looking total.
This also makes the review faster. Most functions reconcile cleanly in a few minutes once you have the final BEO next to the check, and the ones that don't stand out immediately. By the end you have a short, specific list rather than a vague sense that F&B looks high.
FolioMatch does the same thing mechanically: it links each banquet check to its BEO, compares the count, price and add-ons, and only surfaces the functions where something doesn't tie.
Guarantees, oversets and actual counts
The guarantee rule is the most misunderstood part of BEO billing. A typical contract bills you for the greater of the guarantee or the actual count. If you guaranteed 290 and 284 showed up, you pay for 290. If 305 showed up, you pay for 305. The overset (the extra places the hotel sets above the guarantee) is the hotel's safety margin, not an automatic charge.
Where billing goes wrong is usually the count itself: the check uses an earlier revision's guarantee, or the hotel's actual count doesn't match yours. If your own count differs from the hotel's, that's a conversation to have onsite or at the post-con, while the captain's count sheet still exists.
Questions
Is the BEO legally binding?
It depends on your contract. Many hotel contracts incorporate BEOs by reference. FolioMatch treats approved BEOs as evidence of what was agreed for each function, and doesn't give legal advice.
What if a BEO was changed verbally onsite?
Then the bill may be right even though the BEO disagrees. FolioMatch marks onsite-type changes, like extra staff or overtime, as Needs review rather than Likely discrepancy.
Can I upload all BEO revisions?
Yes, as many as you have. They count toward the same audit. FolioMatch compares them and shows the timeline of changes.
Does this cover staffing and overtime on BEOs?
Yes. Staffing quantities, rates, minimum hours and overtime rules on BEOs are compared with the labor lines on the bill.
What if a banquet check has no BEO number on it?
Match it by date, room and function name. If nothing matches, it's either an onsite addition or a misposting, and either way it's worth a question to the hotel.
The hotel's actual count is higher than mine. Who is right?
Ask for the captain's count sheet for that function and compare it with your own records. This is easiest to resolve at the post-con meeting, not weeks later.
Related
Hotel master bill audit
Check the final master bill against the contract, BEOs and concessions. This is the hub for everything below.
Service charge audit
Service charge vs gratuity, what it applies to, tax on service charge, and the order of the calculation.
Common hotel billing errors
A catalogue of the errors that recur on group bills: how each happens, how to spot it, and a sample amount.
You negotiated the deal. Make sure you got it.
Upload your contract, BEOs and final hotel bill. FolioMatch shows what needs attention and the source evidence behind every finding.