Authorise a refundable security deposit on the guest's credit card with Stripe. The amount is held on the card and released after a fixed period if you don't collect it. You set the due date, time and amount of the authorisation.
Prerequisites: a Stripe account connected to your property with the Connect to Stripe button. Automatic charging of pending payments, and charging a stored card from a booking, only work with this connection.
Note: If you are in the EU or have guests from the EU, you may need to comply with 3D Secure. The guest then has to make the payment directly, through a payment link: see Stripe Payment Request.
Quick Guide
- Set up Stripe with Save all cards to Stripe = Yes.
- Create a payment rule with Capture = No.
- Create an Auto Action that adds the security deposit as a pending payment with that rule.
- For virtual cards or EU guests, also send a payment link so the guest authorises the deposit.
Step 1: Set up your Stripe account
Go to Settings > Payments > Payment Gateways > Stripe and set:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Connect | Click to connect. If you have several Stripe accounts, make sure you connect to the right one. |
| Enable/Priority | A number. With several payment gateways, it sets the order on the payment page. |
| Save all cards to Stripe | Yes |
| Capture | Yes: collects the payment at the time of booking on your Beds24 booking page |
| Payment Description, Title, Instruction | Optional. See Stripe settings. |
Step 2: Create a payment rule for the security deposit
Go to Settings > Payments > Payment Rules and click Create New Payment Rule:
| Group | Setting | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Payment Rule | Name | Your title, for example Security Deposit |
| Payment Rule | Action | Auto |
| Payment Trigger | Booking Status | All not cancelled |
| Payment Trigger | Any Booking Info Code, All Booking Info Codes | Optional |
| Payment Trigger | Exclude Booking Info Code |
BOOKINGVIRTCARD, EXPEDIACOLLECT, AGODACOLLECT, if you have virtual credit cards from channels |
| Payment Action | Funding Source | Guest card only |
| Payment Action | Payment value adjustment | Default |
| Payment Action | Capture | No: authorised for collection later |
| Payment Action | Add info code on success | Optional: a Booking Info item added when the payment succeeds |
| Payment Action | Add info code on failure | Optional: a Booking Info item added when the payment fails |
| Prevent Auto Payment | Prevent payment if booking status | Cancelled |
| Prevent Auto Payment | Prevent payment after check-out (days) | 7 (default) |
| Prevent Auto Payment | Prevent payment action | Set Manual |
Note: A refundable payment can't be authorised on a virtual card. For those bookings, send the guest a payment link (Auto Action 2).
Step 3: Create Auto Actions
Go to Settings > Guest Management > Auto Actions and click Create New Action.
Auto Action 1: Authorise the deposit on a guest card at Stripe
For direct bookings and channel bookings without virtual cards, where the credit card is already stored at Stripe.
| Tab | Setting | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Trigger Event | Checkin |
| Trigger | Trigger Time | -1 |
| Trigger | Time Window | 1 day |
| Trigger | Booking Source | All. This applies to all bookings: direct, manual and channel. For different rules for direct and channel bookings, select Direct (manually created and booking page bookings). |
| Trigger | Group Booking Trigger | Trigger only Master |
| Trigger | Status | All not cancelled |
| Trigger | Invoice Balance | Any |
| Trigger | Exclude Booking Info code |
BOOKINGVIRTCARD, EXPEDIACOLLECT, AGODACOLLECT
|
| Booking (optional) | Flag Text | Security Deposit Pending Payment (example) |
| Booking (optional) | Flag Colour | The colour shown in the calendar and bookings list |
| Booking Info | Booking Info Code |
REFDEPPP (example). Optional if you don't use an Auto Action to send a payment link. |
| Booking Info | Booking Info Text | Refundable Security Deposit pending payment |
| Invoice | Add a Pending Payment | On |
| Invoice | Payment Type | Fixed amount |
| Invoice | Description | The text shown on the Charges and Payments tab |
| Invoice | Status | Optional: the status for the pending payment, if you use statuses |
| Invoice | Amount | 250 (the amount to authorise on the guest's card) |
| Invoice | Payment Rule | Security Deposit (your rule from Step 2) |
| Invoice | Payment Due | Trigger date |
| Invoice | Payment time | The time to collect the payment |
| Invoice | Invoicee | Optional: the invoicee the pending payment is assigned to, if you use invoicees |
Note: If you receive virtual credit cards from channels, exclude their info codes (BOOKINGVIRTCARD, EXPEDIACOLLECT, AGODACOLLECT) so that no extra pending payments are added to those bookings.
Auto Action 2: Send a payment link to authorise the deposit
For channel bookings with virtual cards, or guests in EU countries (3D Secure). The guest authorises the deposit on their own card, or you collect their card first and then authorise the deposit on it. It isn't possible to take a security deposit from a virtual card.
| Tab | Setting | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Trigger Event | Checkin |
| Trigger | Trigger Time | -1 |
| Trigger | Time Window | 1 day |
| Trigger | Booking Source | All. This applies to all bookings: direct, manual and channel. For different rules for direct and channel bookings, select Direct (manually created and booking page bookings). |
| Trigger | Group Booking Trigger | Trigger only Master |
| Trigger | Status | All not cancelled |
| Trigger | Invoice Balance | Any |
| Message | Send Message | Booking API/Smart Email |
| Message | Email Subject | The subject for your guests |
| Message | Plain text box | The message sent to channels that use the Message API (see the example below) |
| Message | HTML box | The email text (see the example below) |
| Booking (optional) | Flag Text | Security Deposit Pending Payment (example) |
| Booking (optional) | Flag Colour | The colour shown in the calendar and bookings list |
| Booking Info (optional) | Booking Info Code |
PAYREQ (example, one word) |
| Booking Info (optional) | Booking Info Text | The description shown for the info code |
With Booking API/Smart Email, the message goes to the guest's email address if the Mail & Actions tab has a real one. If there's only a masked address, it's sent through the channel's messaging API if possible. With no messaging connection, it goes to the email address on the Mail & Actions tab. You can use template variables in both boxes.
Example for the Plain text box and the HTML box. Change pay=250 to the amount you need:
Dear [GUESTNAME],
There is a £250(€) Refundable Security Deposit required for your Stay at [PROPERTYNAME].
Please use the link below so the Security Deposit can be authorised.
https://beds24.com/bookpay.php?bookid=[BOOKID]&g=st&capture=0&pay=250
The Security Deposit will be authorised from your Credit Card and will be released when checks are completed and no damage reported.
Best Regards,
[PROPERTYNAME]Expected result: the security deposit is authorised on the guest's card the day before check-in, or the guest receives a link to authorise it. Release or capture it from the booking: see Manage payments manually.
Card details at Stripe
Each card sent to Stripe is saved as a Stripe customer, with the booking number as reference. Info codes on the Info tab of the booking show what happened, for example CARDTOSTRIPE or STRIPEPAYMENT. See Card details at Stripe and info codes.