Online payments with Stripe

Guests can pay by card when they book in the booking engine. Payments go to your own Stripe account. Areca takes no commission on them, only Stripe's card fees apply.

Connect Stripe

1. Open Settings > Integrations and choose Stripe.
2. Click Connect with Stripe, sign in and choose the account guests pay into. You can create a new Stripe account on the way.
3. Under Payments account, choose the account in Areca that card payments are recorded on, for example "Stripe". Create it first in financial settings if you don't have one. Until you choose one, guests cannot pay by card.

Payouts, refunds and disputes stay between you and Stripe. To stop card payments, click Disconnect. Payments already taken stay in your Stripe account.

Set a deposit per rate plan

You decide for each rate plan what guests pay at booking.

1. Open Settings > Booking Engine > Rooms & Rates and edit a rate plan.
2. Under Deposit, choose:
   • None: nothing is charged at booking.
   • Percentage: a share of each room's price, for example 30%. Set 100% for a prepaid rate.
   • Fixed amount: an amount per booked room or bed for the whole stay, in your property's currency. It is never more than the room's price.
3. Save.

A deposit is taken from the accommodation price. When every room in the booking is paid in full, the guest also pays extras and city tax by card. Otherwise those are paid at the property with the rest of the stay.

What guests see

• Rate plan with a deposit: guests pay the deposit by card to finish the booking. They cannot choose payment at arrival for this rate.
• Rate plan without a deposit: guests choose Credit card to pay the whole booking now, or Payment at arrival.

The room is held for 30 minutes while the guest pays on Stripe's secure page. If the payment is not completed in that time, the room is released.

Card payments in Areca

Each card payment is recorded on the booking's Billing tab and on the payments account you chose, next to payments you take at the desk. See Payments and refunds.

To give money back, refund the payment in Stripe. Open in Stripe on the payment takes you there. The refund then shows up on the booking in Areca automatically.