Collecting a hold on security deposit only

How would one go about collecting only the hold on security deposit for a booking that came through another site?
For example, If a booking came through Flipkey, where I would not want to collect Security Deposit, can I still create a booking OR a Quote that can be send to a guest that would be used to collect the security deposit?
I like the option of collecting it few days before check in (instead of of a time of booking) and being in full control of releasing the deposit, so this would be useful for me.
Do I create a quote and then edit it by adding a charge in negative number, reflecting total due "0"? Guest accepts and security deposit gets collected?
Also, What happens at that point to travel insurance quote if they wanted to buy one?
Thank you in advance for your help.
Ella

Hi Ella,

The best way would be to use the Schedule button on the Security Deposit page to enter one to be reserved based on your normal settings. To do that, you'd have to call the guest on the phone and get their credit card info to put into the Schedule page.

On the Security Deposit page, you'll also see a URL that you can send to the guest where they can enter their card info themselves. HOWEVER, this will reserve the security deposit the moment the guest enters their card data and submits the page. It does not schedule for the future, so only use this at the time when you want the security deposit to be reserved.

-Michelle

Hi Michelle,
The 2nd option would work better for me as I don't want to collect CC info.
I THINK I can also set up an automatic email to be send with that link? I don't remember, but I think that the booking had a fileld like that, which could be inserted to automatic/triggered email?
Ella

Yes, you most certainly can! Create an email template for it - the link should already be a field code - and then go into the Booking > Email and add that email template as a scheduled send. Or you could create a trigger but that would go to everyone's booking, not just the one person.

-Michelle

Thank you Michelle!
Sounds like that should be easy enough :)
Ella

Hi Michelle,
I can not find the flield code for security deposit :/

Hello again Michelle,
I see a field to buy travel insurance but not for security deposit.
Please let me know where I can find it... I'm missing it, or maybe it's not an available field?
Ella

Hmm, you're right! I don't see that link or the one for payments either. I'll have to note this down and get back to you. If it's just one person you're scheduling for now, you could hard-code their security deposit link into the email template since it's just going to them.

-Michelle

I'm not.. I'm trying to set it up for any bookings taken via "book now" on Homeaway, or Flipkey that would come in the future. Especially Flipkey, as with Homeaway there is full control, with Flipkey one has to contact them in case of an issue in order to keep any part of security deposit.
Not really sure how to hard-code it,... do you mean first create a booking, set up charges paid, security deposit and then manually edit the email with a link taken from the booking section of that booking and paste it to the email?
Ella

Michelle,
Do you think the first option I wrote would work well in the meantime?:
Do I create a quote and then edit it by adding a charge in negative number, reflecting total due "0"? Guest accepts and security deposit gets collected (whenever scheduled)? I'm not sure that would work since the balance would be "0", except of security deposit...
Also, What happens at that point to travel insurance quote if they wanted to buy one?"

To address that last question... You could do that but that sounds like it might be confusing to the guest. I would do the following:

1) When you see a booking come in from FlipKey or Airbnb, create a manual booking in OwnerRez that matches (same dates, guest name, etc)

2) Make the charges the same as what FlipKey/Airbnb charged the guest, and create a payment (type of "Credit Card Processed Elsewhere") for the total amount so that the booking balance is $0. This is accurate and reflects what actually happens.

3) Then go to the security deposit page and do the Schedule option. The downside here is that you would have to get their card info.

If you're trying to get around having to get their card info, there's not really any great way at the moment. If you try to send them a $0 quote to accept, the system won't let them proceed to sign and pay because it's a $0 amount. Our code checks for $0 quotes and stops them from proceeding, I believe. I can check on that to give you more deails.

If they want to buy travel insurance, you could send them the link. If you mean during the quote acceptance process, if they wanted to buy travel insurance, they would enter their card info and still buy it. Travel insurance is purchased separatedly via a separate billing system that does not use your merchant account. Basically, the guest's card info is passed to our travel insurance carrier where they create a premium and send back the information to our systems.

I see what you're trying to do and I'll work on coming up with a better solution. It might be good, as a quick fix, for us to change the secdep form to let them update or schedule the secdep without it collecting right then and there. Perhaps a checkbox option somewhere at the top.

Thank you for your time, Michelle,
Yes, I don't want to collect credit card info.
I was asking about travel insurance, because I believe it's based on the % of the total for the booking, so I was wondering what would happen if the total due is "0".

So far, it seems that if a link field to pay security insurance exsisted, it would be useful here (would set up an automatic email to be send to that guest let's say 7 days before arrival).

For now, I'll just collect the deposit for "Book Now" as is, via Flipkey.
For my own property, I actually send a seperate invoice via Paypal in case of "Book Now", but this is also a bit of a process for both, the guests and myself.

I wanted to set this up for the property I will be taking bookings soon (already on OwnerRez), as it would be very helpful to be more of a control with security deposits, than having to contact Flipkey in case of problems.
Well... If you come up with anything, please let me know. And, thank you again.
Ella

Rest assured, public guest URLs for payments and security deposits **does exist** somewhere. I'm wondering if it got dropped or is not showing based on your account or property for some specific reason. I'm looking into this. You should have a field code to use in the near future for both of these things.

Ella, I've been told that a hotfix was made earlier this morning to correct this. You now have two booking field codes for the payment and security deposit URLs. Look for field codes:

BUPAY
BUSECDEP

This was added to a morning hotfix to address some other issues, but it should be good to go as well.

Hope this helps,

-Michelle

Yey, that's great!
I'll check it out. Thank you Michelle.
Ella

Hi Michelle,
I've set up an email. Thank you.
A couple of follow up question. If I enter a booking in ownerrez manualy that was taken from external site (example via Flipkey or HA), and then provide a link to submit security deposit.
1. Is it still a "hold" on the card? Or an actual payment?
2. Do the guest signs the rental agreement again here on OWnerRez, or not?

Ella

The security deposit is always a hold. At the moment, we don't have any way to record security deposits that are collected or refunded as payments. Only holds are put in place.

You can have the guest sign the renter agreement again - that part is up to you. The URLs in those field codes only do the specific thing showing on each respective page. They do not ask for anything else. There is a URL field code for a place you can have them to to sign the legal agreement if you want.

In general, it is wise to get the guest to always sign YOUR renter agreement even if they did one on FK or VRBO.

Great. I think that answers all my questions! Thank you again :)

Hi Michelle,
By mistake I added an email to be sent to a wrong guest, even though for the same dates (booking ORB334212) I can't delete or modify it, it shows as "Server error"