The booking notes received from Booking.com for Smart Flex bookings give information on how their payments work.
Please look at our article on how Smart Flex bookings work or visit the Booking.com Partner Hub if you need more information on the Smart Flex reservations programme.
How payment is taken for Smart Flex bookings
- At the time of the booking, the guest chooses whether they would like to pay now or later.
- A virtual card will be generated and passed over to NightsBridge. The virtual card acts as a placeholder.
- When the free cancellation period expires, the actual card details are activated. This could either be a virtual card or the guest's card.
- You will receive a booking modification from Booking.com when the actual card details are activated.
How to tell if the actual card on a Smart Flex booking is a virtual card or a guest credit card
Virtual card
- A virtual card is applicable if the guest chose to pay now at the time of booking.
- The Payment Details on Booking.com's booking notes will show that a virtual credit card is applicable for the booking.
Guest credit card
A guest credit card is applicable if the guest chose to 'Pay later' when making the booking.
- The rooms summary on the Booking.com booking notes will not show that a virtual credit card is provided for the booking.
How to process payment for a Smart Flex booking
Does PayBridge/NightsBridge process credit card payments for you?
Has Booking.com provided guest or virtual credit card details?
When guest credit card is provided by Booking.com
Once the Smart Flex booking is modified by Booking.com (either by the cancellation policy being reached or the guest cancelling outside of the cancellation policy), Booking.com will notify NightsBridge of the modification.
Once the booking modification is received by NightsBridge, PayBridge/NightsBridge will attempt to process the payment transaction and apply the payment to the relevant booking on NightsBridge.
When a virtual credit card is provided by Booking.com
Once the Smart Flex booking is modified by Booking.com (either by the cancellation policy being reached or the guest cancelling outside of the cancellation policy), Booking.com will notify NightsBridge of the modification.
Once the booking modification is received by NightsBridge, PayBridge/NightsBridge will attempt to process the payment transaction and apply the payment to the relevant booking on NightsBridge.
What if Booking.com does not send the booking modification?
If Booking.com does not send the Smart Flex booking modification to NightsBridge, PayBridge/NightsBridge will not will not be aware and will not process these transaction.
The virtual cards will have to be manually processed.
- When the card details are made available by Booking.com (noted in the booking details on Booking.com), access your Booking.com Extranet to retrieve the credit card details and process these manually using your payment gateway or credit card machine.
Access the Extranet and retrieve the card details
For both guest credit cards and virtual credit cards:
- When the card details are made available by Booking.com (noted in the booking details on Booking.com), access your Booking.com Extranet to retrieve the credit card details and process these manually using your payment gateway or credit card machine.
Please read 'What is the Booking.com Smart Flex reservations programme?'or contact Booking.com if you have queries on your Smart Flex payments.