Managing guest-related tasks

When your guests book a stay at your property, you have the option of offering them different payment methods, such as paying online, directly at your property, or both. How you get paid by your guests depends on the options and policies you set up during the registration process, which you can do under the Extranet’s Finance tab.

Additional benefits of Payments by Booking.com

As a global platform, Booking.com caters to guests from around the world. By using Booking.com's payment options, you can enjoy additional benefits, including:

• More ways for your guests to pay: To make it easier for guests from any country to book your property, we partner with payment providers worldwide.
• Fewer cancellations: Guests who choose to pay online at the time of booking are less likely to cancel compared to those who pay at the property.
• Fraud and card protection: We securely facilitate all aspects of the payment process on your behalf, including invalid credit cards, chargebacks, and fraudulent bookings.

Managing guest payments on your own

If you’d prefer to handle guest payments yourself or aren’t eligible for Payments by Booking.com yet, you’ll be responsible for handling all aspects of the payment process including any fees.

• If you accept credit cards, you can either charge your guest before arrival or upon arrival/departure, depending on their reservation policy.
   
• If you don’t accept credit cards, your guest can pay upon arrival or departure in your local currency. If you want to charge a prepayment or damage deposit, you’ll need to contact the guest to decide on a payment deadline and arrange it yourself.

When a guest cancels their booking, your cancellation policy will determine whether they need to pay a cancellation fee. While offering free cancellation options can attract more guests, it's also important to minimize the impact of cancellations and no-shows on your business.

If you decide to waive the fee for a guest who doesn't show up, mark their reservation as a no-show within 48 hours of their scheduled check-out date. This simple step will ensure that you won't be charged commission for the booking.

• Review your policies and rates: Consider tightening up your cancellation policies during time periods when the most cancellations occur. You could also offer an attractive rate to find new guests at the last minute.
   
• Diversify rate plans: Set up diverse Rate Plans on the Extranet with a mix of Early-Booker, Non-Refundable, and Flexible options. By offering more choice to potential guests, you can get more bookings and reduce cancellations while securing revenue from Non-Refundable rates.
   
• Resell your units: The earlier a canceled unit is made available again, the more likely it will sell. Consider turning on auto-replenishment for your units, because that will automatically make them available after a cancellation.
   
• Be responsive: Install the Pulse app for on-the-go messaging and set up message templates to address commonly asked questions. Guests who have questions after booking and receive timely responses are less likely to cancel and book somewhere else.

To help you strike a balance between protecting your interests and staying flexible for your guests, you can set up deposit and prepayment policies. These policies let guests know if they need to make any payments before their stay and when they’ll be charged.

Unexpected situations may arise that prevent a guest from following through with their booking, so offering flexibility can contribute to a more positive guest experience and lead to better reviews.

How to report guest misconduct

In the unlikely event you have a bad experience with a guest, we’re here to help. You can report any incidents to Booking.com via the Extranet or the Pulse app through the Report guest misconduct feature.

Reports can only be submitted if the guest misconduct matches one of the scenarios provided in the report tool. You can do this anytime from check-in to seven days after check-out. 

Before we move on to the next step, we want to assure you that the security of your revenue and property is our top priority.

• With our Payments by Booking.com service, we facilitate guest payments according to your preferred policy, providing you with fraud protection, fewer cancellations, and guaranteed payouts.
• We also offer a variety of options and products to help you minimize the risk and impact of cancellations while making your property more attractive to potential guests. For example, if you’re already using Payments by Booking.com, you get immediate access to Smart Flex Reservations.