Caterbook already has the ability to request payment of the full booking balance, and we know many users send an email to their guests for this a few hours ahead of departure.
We have now introduced a new feature to request any amount be paid via payment link.
Firstly go to Messaging Centre > Email/SMS templates and click the blue 'Add new' button to create a new Email template.
Before we start creating the template, our advice is to be very careful with the words and phrases you use here, because for some public email providers like hotmail, outlook and gmail, a phrase like "Request for Payment" in the email subject might in some cases result in the email landing in the recipients spam folder.
As you compose your template you will now see some new placeholders for BookingPaymentAmount, and BookingPaymentLink.
The currency symbol (e.g. "£") will automatically be added along with the payment amount.
This template should NOT have any schedule configured, and can now be set as Active and saved.
Next, from Messaging Centre > Finance templates, click to 'Choose' the template you just created, for the Payment Link Template.
Now, from a booking where the guest has an email address, you will be able to request a payment of any value, in the same way as you would enter any other payment:
Once you click Save, the configured email template requesting the payment will be sent to the guest.
This will update the booking as follows:
- The booking balance DOES NOT CHANGE - after all we haven't received a payment yet.
- The payment request has a payment ID like any other, but displays in yellow.
- At the end of the row is the ability for you to manually resend the link, if the guest accidentally deleted it etc.
Once the payment has been made, the link changes to the usual grey colour, and the booking balance is updated to reflect the successful payment.
A alert is posted on the Dashboard, and an email is also sent to the property.
Tips for using the pay by link.
Firstly, because the cardholder makes the payment online, themselves, rather than you entering the details over the phone, in most cases 3D Secure V2 checking will reduce your risk of chargebacks. For this reason we recommend it in preference to using the Virtual Terminal inside Caterbook where practical (for example to confirm a booking with a deposit payment, following a telephone booking.)
In an age of internet fraud and scams, it would be advisable to ensure the guest is expecting the email having spoken to them a short while before making the payment request. Include information like the booking reference number in your template, and some reassuring text that they can call the hotel if they have any concerns about the email. This might be useful where payment is collected 4 weeks in advance of arrival for example.