This article explains how to decide whether a web extra should be included in the deposit amount for bookings made through your NightsBridge booking engine.
Including the correct extras in a deposit helps protect your business, improves the sale of the product or service, and lowers the risk of chargebacks. Including the wrong extras can have the opposite effect.
Why This Matters
When a deposit is charged, guests expect it to cover confirmed, guaranteed elements of their stay. Extras that are uncertain, externally managed, or not directly related to accommodation increase the risk of refunds, disputes, and chargebacks.
The guidelines below will help you decide which extras are suitable to include in your deposit calculation.
Criteria for Including Web Extras in a Deposit
A web extra can safely be included in the deposit if one or more of the following apply:
- Availability is guaranteed by your property.
You can confidently deliver the extra once it is booked. - Your property takes payment for the extra.
The guest pays you, not a third party. - Your property provides the extra directly.
You control delivery and fulfilment. - The extra is directly related to the guest’s stay or experience.
It forms part of the accommodation offering rather than optional retail or external services.
If none of these apply, the extra should generally not be included in the deposit.
Examples of Extras That Can Be Included
Airport Transfers
- Suitable if your property takes payment directly.
- Even when using a third-party transfer company, you must remain responsible for:
- Taking payment from the guest.
- Ensuring availability.
- Settling with the transfer provider separately.
Food & Meals
- Appropriate if:
- You have an on-site restaurant, or
- You have an arrangement with a nearby restaurant and take payment yourself.
- You must be responsible for both payment and availability.
These extras work well in deposits because they are part of the guest’s stay and are under your control.
Examples of Extras Not Recommended for Deposits
Curio Shop Items
- Retail-style items (e.g. ornaments or souvenirs) are:
- Not essential to the stay.
- Often purchased later or on impulse.
- Including these increases refund and dispute risk.
Activities
- Should not be included if:
- You do not provide the activity, and
- You do not take payment directly.
- External activities are better charged separately to avoid guest confusion and chargebacks.
Special Considerations
Cleaning Fees
We do not recommend adding your cleaning as a Web Extra.
Cleaning fees should be added within the Cleaning Fee section within your NightsBridge Policies. This helps avoid guests being charged twice when you already have this set up correctly.
Breakage Deposits
We do not recommend adding breakage deposit as a Web Extra.
Your breakage deposit should be added within the Breakage Deposit section within your NightsBridge Policies.
Informing guests of the breakage deposit
Since this information is best provided prior to booking, if you decide to request a breakage deposit, the details should be added to the 'Terms & conditions that apply to the booking'. This can be found in the General Policies on Home.
Tutorial Guidance: How to set up deposit and cancellation policies (Terms & Conditions)