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Reservations
People are booking but not arriving how do we control. I am turning away people cause I am holding booking that people dont show up. can we not take a deposit
People are booking but not arriving how do we control. I am turning away people cause I am holding booking that people dont show up. can we not take a deposit
This must be about the 9th time I've posted the same reply this week ....
This is a very common problem with Booking.com. In short, you need to take payment at the time of booking. just the same as happens with AirBnB / TripAdvisor / HomeAway. If you don't, then you have the very high risk of people booking and blocking your calendar and not showing up, which then costs you money. I have posted the solution for taking payments several times this week, and will paste it below again ...
You need to send a message to Booking.com via your Extranet and ask them to set up Payments by Booking.com
If they agree, you can go live - be aware that Booking.com will not collect damage deposits for you like with AirBnB/TripAdvisor etc - I've posted a partial solution for that many times ....
Booking.com may refuse to allow you to take payments via Payments by Booking.com. If so, keep your property closed on Booking.com and just use AirBnB / TripAdvisor / HomeAway instead. But don't give up, keep asking Booking.com to allow you to take online payments.
Hi! Irene and welcome to the Partner Community.
In your Property tab you can create Policies that can prevent no shows and cancellations...
You can also have non refundable rates...that means less reservations but without the risk of no shows...
Hope this helps you a little.
Wish you all the best.
You can mark under policies (also under the fine print section) that a deposit is required on the time of booking. You send your bank details with a deadline and requried amount directly to the guest. You can mark in extranet that you didn't receive the payment, Booking.com will contact the guest, and if the guest doesn't respond to you in 24h, you are able to cancel their booking.
pibomarco taking deposits is a fine solution.
Thanks for details, didn’t know that reservation could be canceled if guest doesn’t make deposit.
Unfortunately for payments by booking.com, this is not possible.
Take care.
For payments by Booking.com we basicly don't need this feature.
Although in the fine print I am able to thick:
"Payment before arrival via bank transfer is required. The property will contact you after you book to provide instructions."
Every time I add a new property, I have to ask for Payments by Booking.com to be set up. Once this is done, I have to request a change to the fine print - Booking.com always refuse. I then have to point out that we have multiple properties, have been using BDC for a long time, and the changes are as suggested by BDC. Sometimes they allow it, sometimes they only allow a partial change. I just have to keep arguing and eventually they allow the changes. They really don't like new properties taking payments online or by bank transfer .....
pibomarco thanks for your comment.
I agree that in non refundable rates we don’t need deposits but in standard rates my payment policy is flexible so guests can cancel 14 days before check-in...
Do you agree???
I think it's the same, because you'll get paid from Payments by BDC if the guest wont cancel the booking in 14 days before check-in. :)
Yes...but when they cancel 14 days before I don’t get paid and have to find new reservation....Am I wrong???
Yes, that's the policy you choosed to have? :)
I personaly don't have non-refundable rates. I only have strict "flexible" rates that are almost considered as non-refundable rates.
Yes I know pibomarco...maybe I should reconsider???
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and helping me...
Wish you a wonderful day...
I don't know. If you were doing OK in the past with such policy and you didn't have empty apartment because of that, perhpas you should leave it. :)
I think strict rates sounds better than refundable...
pibomarco thangs again for suggestions...
pibomarco, I wanted to reply to above comment but reply box is so thin and long I cannot see or write...this bug is still on...
Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I checked my reservations and was surprised to see that the majority of my reservations were non-refundables maybe because I have a 10% discount???
Last year due to enormous cancellations I discovered that similar properties and hotels in my area had only non refundable rates...Yesterday when I checked again it’s 50-50...
I guess you believe that guests prefer strict policies instead of non-refundable???
Are your rates the same for both flexible and strict???
Thanks for your kind help and have a nice day...
10% discount sure have some effect. Perhaps its now 50-50 because of the low season.
Guests preffers discounts. :) If it's possible maybe you could change your standard rate policy, such as free cancelation 21 days before arrival.. or 30 days.. Maybe you can increase your rates a little and offer 15% discount for a non-refundable rate.
I have only one policy active:
Partially refundable - 30 days
Ok, I see your point...
Yes, probably 50-50 is due to low season.
My standard rate is flexible...14 days
I also believe guests like promotions....later on I will offer promotions for early bookers, week stays etc. it works I think...
I like your Partially refundable...but I am not sure if I understand how to proceed...can you please give me details..your know >>>>....>>>
Thanks again for your time...
Sure, no problem. :)
Extranet -> Policies -> Cancelation and prepayment policies -> Edit
Many thanks for your support...I will try it...
I dont know why but I dont have the window....
..... until 30 days before arrival.... thats why I asked for your help...
I am searching...
pibomarco I finally found it...
Under ...Is there a period when the guest can cancel free of charge I had to tick No instead of Yes...and the rest of the windows opened automatically....
Soooo simple....