Create a Direct booking to send a booking link to your guest and collect payment through Hospitable.
You can create a Direct booking from your Inbox or Calendar, adjust pricing before sending, and optionally create a custom quote for the guest.
Once the guest completes checkout, the reservation is automatically accepted and managed inside Hospitable like any other Direct booking.
Before You Start
Before creating a Direct booking, make sure:
Your Direct setup is complete
A payout method is configured
The property is assigned to an active Direct booking policy
See also: Direct Setup Checklist
How to Add a Direct Booking
You can create a Direct booking from either the Inbox or the Calendar.
From the Inbox
Go to the Inbox
Start a new Direct booking
Select the property
Choose the check-in and check-out dates
Enter the number of guests
Update pricing to fit the guest you are sending it for
Add the guest details
Set the booking expiration
Review the booking details
Click Send
From the Calendar
Go to the Calendar
Select the dates for the booking
Choose to create a Direct booking
Update pricing to fit the guest you are sending it for
Add the guest details
Set the booking expiration
Review the booking details
Click Send
Creating a Direct booking in Hospitable from the Inbox and Calendar with property, dates, guest details, and expiration settings
Discounts and Custom Pricing
When creating a Direct booking, you can customize pricing before sending it to the guest.
You can:
Adjust nightly rates
Add additional fees
Add manual discounts
Add negative-value line items
This is how custom quotes are created in Hospitable.
Promo codes do not apply to host-created bookings:
Custom pricing (quotes) → You manually adjust pricing or add a discount line item before sending
Promo codes → Guests enter a code themselves during checkout on your booking site
Promo codes cannot be applied to Direct bookings you create manually. To offer a discount, adjust the pricing or add a negative line item before sending the booking.
Guest Details and Verification
When adding guest details:
Existing verified guests can reuse their verification
Returning verified guests may skip identity verification during checkout
Other booking requirements may still apply, including:
Payment collection
Rental agreements
Guest Portal tasks
Reusing an existing verified guest skips the verification step during checkout, but other booking requirements (such as payment or agreements) still apply.
Review Booking Details Before Sending
Before sending the booking, review:
Nightly rate
Cleaning fee
Taxes and fees
Discounts or pricing adjustments
Booking expiration
Payment terms
Cancellation policy
If you need to make changes, go back and update the booking before sending.
Once the booking is sent and marked as pending, pricing and booking details cannot be edited.
The guest sees the full booking total, installment schedule (if applicable), and any separate security deposit requirements during checkout.
Note: Your cancellation policy and payment terms are applied to the booking and shown to the guest during checkout. These cannot be changed after the booking is created.
Send the Booking to Your Guest
When you're ready to send the booking:
Review the total price and booking details
Click Send
The guest receives a secure booking link via email to complete checkout.
Once the booking is created:
The dates are temporarily blocked on your calendar
The booking appears as pending
The guest can complete checkout using the booking link
If the booking expires or is canceled before payment is completed, the blocked dates become available again.
What Happens After You Send the Booking
Once you send the booking:
The selected dates are blocked on your calendar
The booking is marked as pending
The guest receives a booking link to complete their reservation
The booking will remain pending until the guest completes it or it expires.
The selected dates are blocked on your calendar once the booking is created. If the booking is not completed, you must cancel or reject it to unblock the dates.
What the Guest Does Next
After receiving the booking link, the guest:
Reviews the booking details and pricing
Enters their contact and payment information
Completes the booking
Depending on your setup, the guest may also:
Complete identity verification
Sign a rental agreement
Complete Guest Portal tasks
Guest checkout page for a Direct booking showing pricing breakdown and payment options
How Payment Collection Works
When the guest submits payment:
Hospitable authorizes the payment method
The reservation is validated
Payment is captured after confirmation
During checkout, guests may see:
The booking total for the stay
Installment amounts if payment terms are enabled
A separate refundable security deposit amount
The security deposit is displayed separately from the booking total and is not included in the reservation price.
Security deposits are typically collected 2 days before check-in. However, if the booking is created within 2 days of check-in, the security deposit may be collected at the same time as the booking payment as a separate charge.
If security deposits are not enabled for the booking policy, no security deposit amount appears during checkout.
Guests may see the booking total and the refundable security deposit as separate charges during checkout and on their bank statement.
Guest checkout page for a Direct booking showing the reservation total and a separate refundable security deposit amount
Also see: How Payments Work for Direct Bookings
Copy the Booking Link Later
After sending a pending booking or custom quote, you can copy the booking link again from the Inbox conversation.
This is useful when sharing the link through:
SMS
WhatsApp
Email
Other messaging platforms
The copied link opens the same checkout flow as the original emailed link.
What Happens After the Booking Is Submitted
Once the guest completes checkout:
Payment is authorized or collected
The booking is automatically accepted
The reservation appears in your Inbox and Calendar
Automated messages and tasks are triggered
Bookings created through host-sent booking links or custom quotes do not follow Instant Book approval settings.
Bookings you send to guests are automatically accepted once checkout is completed.
Complimentary Stays and External Payments
Direct bookings always generate a payment link for the guest.
If you already collected payment outside Hospitable or want to create a complimentary stay:
Use a Manual Booking instead of a Direct booking
Manual bookings:
Block calendar dates
Trigger automations
Do not process payments through Hospitable
Key Things to Know
You can create a Direct booking from the Inbox or Calendar
Direct bookings you send manually are also used for custom quotes
Dates are temporarily blocked once the booking is created
Pending bookings remain active until completed, canceled, or expired
Promo codes cannot be applied to manually created bookings
Guests will see separate authorization holds for security deposits
Host-sent booking links are automatically accepted after checkout
Pending bookings cannot be edited after being sent
What’s Next
How Direct Bookings Work
How Payments Work for Direct Bookings
Direct Booking Refunds
Difference between Manual Bookings and Direct Bookings
Payment Terms Scheduling