This article covers payment failures for Direct guest bookings only. If your Hospitable subscription payment was declined, see Add, Update, or Delete Your Payment Method.
Payment failures on Direct bookings work differently depending on how the booking was initiated. This article covers what happens when a guest's card is declined, how they can recover, and what it means for the reservation — for both Direct site bookings and Custom Quotes.
How to Check Payment Status for a Direct Booking
Before troubleshooting a payment issue, it helps to know the current status of a booking's payment. Here's where to find that information in Hospitable.
Checking payment status in the reservation detail view
Open the reservation from your Inbox or Calendar.
In the reservation panel on the right, look for the payment information near the booking total.
Here's what you'll see depending on the payment state:
What you see | What it means |
Paid | Payment has been successfully collected from the guest. This appears once the full amount (or a scheduled installment) has been charged. If a partial refund is issued later, the status remains Paid and the refund appears as an adjustment. |
Refunded | The full payment amount has been refunded to the guest. This status only appears when the entire collected amount is refunded (e.g., guest paid $500 and was refunded $500). |
Scheduled | A payment is scheduled but has not yet been collected. This is the default status for upcoming installments under Payment Terms. Once the guest pays — whether early or on the scheduled date — it updates to Paid. |
Differences by booking type
Direct site bookings: You will only see a reservation in your Inbox or Calendar once payment succeeds. If a guest's card is declined during checkout on your Direct site, no booking is created — so there is nothing to check. The status will show Paid once the booking appears.
Custom Quotes: The booking is created as soon as you send the quote, so it appears in your Inbox and Calendar before the guest pays. The payment link is sent to the guest, and once they complete payment, the status updates to Paid.
Payment Terms (installments): The reservation detail view shows the payment schedule — each installment displays its date and amount. Installments that haven't been collected yet show as Scheduled. Once an installment is paid (early or on the scheduled date), it updates to Paid.
💡 Tip: If a guest contacts you saying they've paid but you don't see a Paid label next to the payment, ask them to confirm which card they used and double-check the payment link. Payment processing typically takes a few moments, but if the status hasn't updated after several minutes, the payment may not have gone through successfully.
What Happens When a Card Is Declined
Bookings via Your Direct Site
When a guest books through your Direct website, their card is authorized at the payment step. If the card is declined:
No booking is created. The reservation does not enter your dashboard or appear as Pending.
The guest remains on the payment page and can try a different card immediately.
If the guest cannot provide a valid card, they can start a new booking from scratch.
You (the host) are not notified of the failed attempt because no booking was submitted.
A declined card on your Direct site does not create a booking. The guest simply stays on the payment page and can retry with a different card — no action is needed from you as the host.
Custom Quotes
When you send a guest a Custom Quote with a payment link, the behavior is different:
The booking is created in a Pending state when the quote is sent.
If the guest's card is declined when they attempt to pay, the booking remains Pending.
The guest can retry with a different card using the same payment link.
You can see the Pending booking in your Hospitable dashboard and can extend the grace period as needed.
Automatic Retry Logic
Bookings via Your Direct Site
There is no automatic retry for card declines on your Direct site for new bookings. The guest handles it in real time:
If the card is declined, the guest can immediately enter a different card on the payment page.
There is no background retry or waiting period — the guest controls the process.
Payment Terms (Installment Payments)
If a booking has been confirmed and you use Payment Terms (splitting the total into multiple payments), Hospitable has built-in retry and grace period logic for subsequent payments:
When a scheduled payment fails, the system retries within the Grace Period you've configured in your payment terms settings.
If the grace period expires without successful collection, the booking is automatically cancelled and a refund is processed according to your cancellation policy.
You can extend the grace period before it expires to give the guest more time.
The guest receives an email reminder before the next payment is due, with a link to update their payment method.
You can adjust the grace period in your Direct payment terms settings under Direct → Payment Terms to change what applies on all future bookings. A longer grace period gives guests more time to resolve payment issues before the booking is cancelled.
When a Scheduled Payment Fails to Capture
In some cases, you may notice that a scheduled payment term was not captured on time, even though the guest's card was previously valid. This can happen for several reasons:
The guest's card expired or was replaced between the first and second payment.
The guest's bank declined the charge due to insufficient funds, fraud protection, or spending limits.
A system issue prevented the capture from being processed on schedule.
What you'll see:
The payment term status remains "Scheduled" instead of updating to "Paid."
The grace period begins automatically, and the system retries the charge.
The guest receives an email with a link to update their payment method.
What to do:
Check the reservation's payment status in the Inbox or Calendar to confirm which payment term was not captured.
Contact the guest through the Hospitable inbox to let them know a payment didn't go through and ask them to check the email with the payment update link.
Monitor the grace period — you can extend it if the guest needs more time. If the grace period expires without successful payment, the booking is automatically cancelled, and any previously captured payments will be refunded according to your cancellation policy.
If payment capture fails repeatedly for the same reservation or across multiple reservations:
If you notice a pattern where payment terms are not being captured — especially if this happens more than once on the same property or the same reservation — this may indicate a system-level issue rather than a guest card problem. In this case:
Do not wait for additional failures. Contact [email protected] immediately.
Include the following details in your message:
Reservation code(s) affected
Which payment terms failed (e.g., "second payment term")
Dates of the failures
Whether this has happened before on the same property
Our team can investigate whether there is an underlying issue with the payment processing for your account or property and manually capture the payment if needed.
Important: Hospitable does not charge guests without a valid authorization or confirmed booking. If a payment capture fails, the guest is not charged — the funds remain on hold (if authorized), or the hold is released.
Payment Status After Booking Alterations
When a booking is altered, the payment behavior depends on whether the alteration increases the total cost:
If the alteration increases the total: The additional amount is collected from the guest. If payment terms are active, the schedule may be adjusted — see Direct Payment Terms for details.
If the alteration decreases the total: A refund may be issued for the difference.
After an alteration, check the reservation detail view to confirm the payment status has updated. If the alteration was processed but the additional payment does not show as "Paid" after several minutes:
Ask the guest to check their email for a payment link (if a new payment is required).
If the payment still doesn't appear, contact [email protected] with the reservation code and details of the alteration.
Note: Alteration payments are processed as part of the overall booking payment flow. They are not separate transactions — they update the existing reservation's financial summary.
What the Guest and Host See
Direct site bookings
Guest: Sees an error on the payment page indicating the card was declined. The guest can enter a different card and try again without leaving the page.
Host: Nothing — the host does not see failed payment attempts from the Direct site because no booking is created until payment succeeds.
Custom Quotes
Guest: If the card is declined on a Custom Quote payment link, the guest sees an error and can retry with a different card.
Host: The booking appears as Pending in your dashboard. You can see that payment has not yet been collected.
Payment Terms (Installment Failures)
Guest: Receives an email reminder before the next scheduled payment, with a link to pay using a different payment method. If the booking is cancelled due to non-payment, the guest receives a cancellation notification.
Host: You can see the payment schedule status and whether the grace period is active in your dashboard. If the grace period expires and the booking is cancelled, you'll receive a cancellation notification.
How to Recover a Failed Payment
Direct site bookings
No action is needed from you as the host. The guest can:
Try a different card directly on the payment page.
Start a new booking from scratch if they prefer.
If a guest contacts you about a failed payment on your Direct site, let them know they can simply re-enter their card details or try a different card on the booking page.
Custom Quotes
If a guest's card is declined on a Custom Quote:
The guest can retry with a different card using the same payment link.
You can send a new Custom Quote if needed.
Payment Terms (Installment Failures)
If a scheduled payment fails on a confirmed booking:
The guest receives an email with a link to update their payment method.
You can extend the grace period before it expires to give the guest more time.
Contact the guest through the Hospitable inbox to let them know their payment didn't go through.
Impact on Booking Status
Direct site bookings
A declined card on your Direct site has no impact on booking status because no booking is created. The dates remain available for other guests.
Custom Quotes
The booking remains Pending until the guest successfully pays or the quote expires.
Payment Terms (Installment Failures)
Grace period active — The booking is still confirmed but payment is overdue. The system retries within the grace window.
Cancelled — If the grace period expires without successful collection, the booking is automatically cancelled and a refund is processed per your cancellation policy.
A cancelled booking due to non-payment is processed according to your cancellation policy. Any applicable refund is issued automatically.
FAQs
Can the guest try a different card?
Can the guest try a different card?
Yes. On your Direct site, the guest can enter a different card immediately on the payment page without starting over. For Custom Quotes, the guest can retry with a different card using the same payment link. For payment terms, the guest receives an email with a link to update their payment method.
Is the booking lost if the card is declined?
Is the booking lost if the card is declined?
For Direct site bookings, no booking was created in the first place — the guest simply needs to provide a valid card to complete the booking. The dates remain available. For Custom Quotes, the booking stays Pending until paid or expired. For payment terms, the booking remains active during the grace period.
Will I still get paid?
Will I still get paid?
You will only receive payment once the guest's card is successfully charged. For Direct site bookings, no payment is collected until the guest completes checkout with a valid card. For payment terms, if the grace period expires without payment, the booking is cancelled and no further payment is collected.
Where can I see if a guest has paid for their Direct booking?
Where can I see if a guest has paid for their Direct booking?
Open the reservation from your Inbox or Calendar and check the payment information in the reservation panel. If a payment has been collected, you'll see a Paid label. If the full amount has been refunded, it will show as Refunded. For partial refunds, the status stays Paid and the refund appears as an adjustment. Scheduled payments that haven't been collected yet show as Scheduled. For Direct site bookings, the reservation only appears in your Inbox or Calendar once payment succeeds, so if you can see the booking, the initial payment has been processed.
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