Very strange that you have this problem. You will soon get the possibility to set up a prepayment or in some markets you can ask booking.com to take care of payment (my parents in france are using this and it’s works perfectly)
Best Regards
Hi everyone. This is my first post on this site. I’ve read all the replies above and was hoping you’d be able to help me. I’ve recently listed on booking.com to fill gap nights from Airbnb. I’ve already had 8 bookings. First one was fine (but very weird and concerning), 2nd one easy, lovely, third one was a no-show after I sat outside the apartment for 2 hours waiting for him - despite LOTS of contact in the days prior to arrival.
I’m terrified about the upcoming 5 bookings after reading some bad stories, so I’m trying to set up credit card payment as currently I’m doing cash on arrival and it’s just too much of a risk - I don’t know anything about these people, I’m just turning up, taking cash and letting them into my space and they could do ANYTHING.
Anyway, I read above about Square and Stripe. I couldn’t find a suitable product on Square - just physical readers etc. But on Stripe they wrote to me and said I can either recruit a 3rd party invoicing integration OR use something like Shopify to do an e-commerce integration using a simple website with payment form built in. Any recommendations on which way to go? I don’t currently have a website as it’s a short term set up.
ALSO, they have asked for proof that I own the apartment - I don’t, I’m subletting with the landlord’s permission.
Any ideas for me? I’m thinking of pulling my listing from Booking.com and just sticking to Airbnb to be safe.
Thanks in advance…
I haven’t used the site. Thank you for introducing. 
I was able to open a stripe account and didn’t had the need to send the paper you said.
On stripe I am able to make pre autorization on clients card, if you have an account with them you click on payments.
Why don´t you to try with Paypal?
You can ask a for a prepayment in Booking as soon as they book with you and therfore reduce the risk of a no-show.
You could send your guests an electronic invoice so they can pay them through Paypal. If you don´t receive the prepayment you can ask Booking to cancel the reservation.
How do you send them an electronic invoice in PayPal please?
booking.com. I use stripe of course. Sending someone a paypal invoice isn’t going to work. They won’t pay it because most people think of booking.com as coming to a hotel and there’s a front desk where they can pay. Not only that in case of a charge back situation your much better off with stripe then paypal. I never win a paypal charge back. Stripe I am 5-0 on booking.com chargebacks with the contract they send us and the emails between us and the guest and there passport we take a photo of on check in. I have it set that 14 days prior to arrival we charge the entire amount. This gives me some wiggle room to fill in case the card is no good. Now as far as the cleaning fee or pet fee, booking.com now adds this into the total I screen shot this and in my confirmation I send them the photo showing them the grand total. i agree with the guests that booking.com kind of hides the extra fee when it displays the original price to the guest. It’s in the fine print. My biggest issue with booking.com is we own 3 small buildings here in Medellin with all different type apartments and booking.com lumps all the photos into the main display. So all the time we get people that book the one bedroom and think there getting the penthouse with the roof deck. I even purposely link a video of there exact apartment in the confirmation there getting and they still don’t read anything and show up and are upset.
Is it not better for you to have three separate listing to don’t have the problem of photos mix ?
no they do it by address. So anything at that address needs to be together. Honestly there platform apartments were a after thought and they really need to re-write there website.
Hi Sylvain, just wondered - do you have a website? Or is your stripe account completely free-standing? I don’t have the CVC, I willask booking.com to update so that they always collect the CVC, but for this one, will it go through?
Also, when are you allowed to take their money, only when they check in?
Thanks
Rachael
Yes I have a website and will soon have a booking widget that is connect with my channel manager so clients can booked on my website and leave credit card details. My stripe account is now only completely free-standing, I am doing on it the pre autorization of clients card and using an app on tel when clients wants to pay at check in. If you asked booking.com to have CVC, you will have CVC for future booking. You can say that the client card is invalid so the client will have to submit a new card and CVC.
If you are new booking.com client, yes it’s only at check in you can take money but you can and should do a pre autorization on clients cards (valid 7 days)
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I decided to list my second property which is an independent one bedroom suite on our farm in Sicily on booking.com. It has been listed on Airbnb since December and has had no real enquiries or bookings. I am a superhost on a much larger property in Lugano , Switzerland.
I even followed the dreaded Air pricing tips and cut the price down to €40 a night, with no results at all. I had previously looked at Booking but was put off by all the problems with credit cards and securing payments. So on Friday I decided to try Booking, now that they can handle the payments on behalf of owners. I put it on at €80 per night, and low and behold, I already have my first booking!
What are your views on this? Was I pricing too low on Air? November to December is the dead season here so that of course is a factor. But nevertheless the difference in results is remarkable.
I didn’t know they handle payment on behalf of owners. I will call tomorrow to find out about that. How secure is their verification process. If a card turn out fraudulent do they refund you the money if the guest has checked out? Just had my first booking and guest stay from booking.com.
I gave the key and they paid for 4 guest staying. (2 kids and 2 adults) plus it felt awkward asking for the damage deposit when I have no way to process it except cash.
Anyways I drove by an hour later and notice a guest(s) at the home. I went back and checked my fine print. My listing says no guests allowed.
I called the guest, his brother was over. I don’t want local people knowing about my listing!! I told him after today no more guests. They decided to cut their stay short from 3 to 1 night due to this policy.
I gladly obliged to refund two nights!
The competition is totally different compared to Airbnb.
Hi
Try to give the fine print as information when guests are booking to avoid this type of situation.
What could help you get started on AirBnB is to get yourself a first excellent review. It isn’t all that difficult 
, and will get you started 
.
And it doesn’t have to be at full price, you can send a special offer to your “special guest” 
.
Even after reviews, the competition in my opinion is different. I have both and get pricing on booking.com higher as I have to pay the commission and get very few Airbnb guests compare to booking.com when I have higher price
Thanks but I tried that already. Any other ideas?
I think they take the money from the guests upfront. It shows as non refundable when people book. I in fact agreed that the booking could be cancelled without penalty during the first 24 hours after booking, but that is not showing up on their site. The guests are coming on May 1st and Booking say they will pay me on June 15! Of course that is not great when many people offer payment at the property. Anyway I am giving it a try and have put my airbnb prices up to the booking level after adjusting for the airbnb fees paid by airbnb guest.
here is the airbnb link. www.airbnb.com/rooms/16053423
and booking https://www.booking.com/hotel/it/independent-suite-with-pool.en-gb.html?aid=397595;label=gog235jc-index-en-XX-XX-unspec-it-com-L%3Aen-O%3Aabn-B%3Asafari-N%3AXX-S%3Abo-U%3Ac-H%3As;sid=11b69e1419abb82168a1cabf58357222;all_sr_blocks=228756301_99594386_2_1_0;checkin=2017-04-14;checkout=2017-04-17;dest_id=-112593;dest_type=city;dist=0;group_adults=2;highlighted_blocks=228756301_99594386_2_1_0;hpos=1;room1=A%2CA;sb_price_type=total;srfid=a52daee0adc855094121ebdcb3fce095d028a7edX1;type=total;ucfs=1&#hotelTmpl