Card payments are the way forward. They are an easy, secure of way of letting your guests book their trip. The easier the booking process, the more likely you are to secure the booking, increasing your occupancy rate!
Although bank transfers used to be a common way to pay, their popularity has declined due to a rise in fraudulent holiday home owners. The security of paying with a credit card is now front and centre in people’s minds.
What are the benefits of taking card payments?
They are easier
Writing cheques and heading into the bank is an outdated way of moving money, and while a bank transfer is more convenient than these methods, it can mean you don’t receive the money for a few days while the money clears.
If a refund is needed to go to the guest, this is a much simpler process if they have paid you by card payment.
A simple book now button that takes your guest to a card payment page is all that is needed to get your guest booked up!
Think of it this way, if a potential guest is weighing up their options between you and a competitor and you require them to contact you for payment details, while the other takes online bookings…
You are bound to lose the booking to them!
Security
Thanks to a rise in holiday scams (among others!) the public are more wary of transferring money to someone they don’t know.
As most people are aware, if you buy goods or services between the value of £100 and £30,000 on your credit card, you automatically get credit card purchase protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. As most people are aware, if you buy goods or services between the value of £100 and £30,000 on your credit card, you automatically get credit card purchase protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
What payment gateway should I use?
There are a number of payment gateways you can choose from to enable you to take debit or credit card payments! Which payment gateway you choose is completely up to you. Research them all and see which one suits your business model best.
Some examples of the more popular gateways are below!
How soon do I receive my funds?
This will depend on which payment gateway you choose. (details below correct as of Nov 22)
Stripe: Payouts are made once a week (on a day of your choosing) and include payments processed up to 4 business days prior.
Opayo: The funds normally take 3-5 working days to clear into your account. This is agreed between you and your merchant bank and can vary.
Payment Sense: If you are on standard settlement, your funds will reach your account within three to five working days.
WorldPay: We settle funds twice a week, so you will usually receive payment 3-4 days after an order is placed.
PayPal: By default, your funds will be held for 21 days. However, there are several things you can do to expedite this timeline.
Barclays ePDQ:
- To other Barclays accounts – the money will normally arrive immediately
- To Barclaycard – the funds will normally arrive on the same day but won’t show on your statement until the next working day
- To other banks – the money will normally arrive on the same day, if that bank is part of the Faster Payments service. However, some organisations may take longer to credit their customers’ accounts and there are also transaction limits. If your payment is greater than the limit, it will take longer to arrive
Think you need to offer card payments?
Before choosing your payment gateway, you’ll need to consider:
- How soon the funds will be cleared
- If there are charges per transaction
- Whether guests have to set up an account before being able to make a payment
The holiday let industry is constantly evolving and adapting to change, so you need to as well.
