Payment failures can happen during Direct bookings when a guest’s payment cannot be processed.
This article explains why payments fail, what happens to the booking, and what actions you can take as a host.
When and Why Payments Fail
Payment failures can occur at different stages of the booking:
During checkout (initial payment)
During scheduled payments after booking acceptance
Common reasons for payment failures include:
Insufficient funds
Expired or invalid card details
Bank or payment provider declines
3D Secure (3DS) verification failure — the guest's bank required an additional authentication step (e.g. a one-time code or app approval) that was not completed
When a payment fails, the charge cannot be completed and the guest must update their payment details to proceed.
Payment failures are typically caused by issues with the guest’s payment method or their bank, not Hospitable.
What Happens When a Payment Fails
If a payment fails:
The booking remains pending or incomplete
The guest is notified to update their payment details
The system will attempt to collect payment again (depending on your payment setup)
The booking is not confirmed until payment is successfully completed.
How Guests Complete a Failed Payment
To complete their booking, the guest must:
Open the booking link or Guest Portal
Review the booking details
Enter or update their payment information
Submit the payment
Troubleshooting Guest Payment Issues
Card declined: The guest should update their card details and retry the payment from the Guest Portal link.
Expired payment link or authorization: Payment links and card authorizations expire. Contact [email protected] so we can generate a fresh payment link before the reservation auto-cancels.
Wrong guest email on file: If the guest didn't receive the payment link or the email address is incorrect, contact Support to update the email and resend the link.
Guest Portal payment page showing an option to update payment method and retry a failed payment
Note: For Direct custom quotes, the guest receives a dedicated payment link by email. Make sure the guest has received that email and uses the link to complete the booking.
What Hosts Can and Cannot Do
If a guest's payment doesn't go through, here's what to keep in mind so you can help them get things sorted quickly.
As a host:
Retrying a failed payment isn't something you can do from your side. The guest needs to complete it themselves.
You won't see the exact reason the payment failed. That information stays between the guest and their bank.
The easiest path is to ask the guest to finish the payment through their Guest Portal.
If the issue persists:
The guest may need to contact their bank or payment provider.
You can contact Hospitable Support for further assistance, including help regenerating an expired payment link or updating the guest's email address on file.
Payment retries and failure details are handled by the payment provider. Guests must resolve payment issues directly using their payment method.
Grace Period for Failed Payments
After a failed payment, the booking remains active for a limited time to allow the guest to complete payment.
During this period:
The dates remain blocked on your calendar
The guest can retry payment using the same booking link
If payment is not completed within the allowed time and the booking is cancelled:
The booking may expire or be cancelled
The dates are released on your calendar
The length of the grace period depends on your payment setup and may vary.
Once a booking is cancelled, Guest Portal payment does not restore it. A guest who tries to pay after the booking has been cancelled will not have their reservation reinstated. The only option is for the guest to create a new booking for the same dates (if availability allows).
What Happens If the Booking Is Cancelled
If the booking is cancelled due to a failed payment:
The dates are released on your calendar
Any future scheduled payments are not charged
Refunds are calculated based on your cancellation policy and payments already collected
Also see: Direct Booking Refunds | What is 3D Secure (3DS) authentication?
When to Take Action
You may want to follow up with the guest if:
A payment remains incomplete during the grace period
The guest reports issues completing payment
Contact Hospitable Support if:
The guest cannot complete payment after trying multiple methods
You suspect a technical issue or unusual behaviour
When a Guest Pays But the Dates Get Taken First
Direct bookings use a real-time availability check. In the rare case that two guests try to book the same dates at the same time, only one booking can succeed. If your guest's booking loses the race, they'll see this message after submitting payment:
“The selected dates are no longer available. Please select different dates.”
What happens to the guest's payment:
Hospitable places an authorization hold when the guest submits payment, but only captures (actually charges) the card once the booking is confirmed.
Because the booking can't be confirmed, no capture happens. The authorization hold is automatically cancelled.
The guest's bank releases the hold, typically within 3–5 business days.
No host action is required. The reservation will not appear in your Hospitable dashboard because it was never confirmed.
Authorization holds are not charges. The funds were never withdrawn from the guest's account — they were temporarily reserved and are now being released.
Key Things to Know
Bookings are not confirmed until payment is completed
Guests must resolve payment issues through the Guest Portal
Hosts cannot retry payments or see failure reasons
Failed payments may lead to booking expiration or cancellation
Refunds (if applicable) depend on your cancellation policy and collected payments