Direct booking payments use an authorization-and-capture flow to help prevent failed or duplicate charges during checkout.
Depending on your booking policy, guests may pay in full, pay in installments, or see a separate refundable security deposit during checkout.
This article explains how payment processing works for Direct bookings, what guests may see on their bank statement, and how Hospitable handles payment retries, authorizations, and payouts.
How Payment Authorization Works
When a guest submits payment for a Direct booking:
Hospitable authorizes the payment method
The reservation is validated
Payment is captured after confirmation
This means the guest’s card may show a temporary authorization before the payment is fully charged.
If the reservation cannot be confirmed:
The authorization is automatically released
No payment is captured
The booking is not completed
Authorization holds may remain visible for several business days depending on the guest’s bank.
When Guests Are Charged
When the payment is captured depends on the booking flow.
Booking Requests
If the reservation requires approval:
The guest payment method is authorized first
Payment is captured only after the booking is accepted
If the booking request expires or is declined:
The authorization is released automatically
Instant Book Reservations
If Instant Book is enabled:
The reservation confirms automatically
Payment is captured immediately after confirmation
Host-Sent Booking Links and Quotes
Bookings created through:
Custom quotes
Booking links
Host-created Direct bookings
are automatically accepted once checkout is completed.
These bookings do not follow Instant Book approval settings.
Email sent to a guest with a Confirm booking and pay button for a direct booking
Also see: Add a Direct Booking
Understanding Installments and Payment Terms
If payment installments are enabled:
Guests see the amount due immediately during checkout
Remaining installment amounts and due dates remain visible
Only the installment currently due is charged immediately
Future installments are processed automatically based on your configured payment schedule.
The full reservation total remains visible throughout checkout, even when only a partial payment is collected initially.
Guests may see both the reservation total and the amount due today during checkout.
Direct booking checkout page showing the total reservation amount and installment payment schedule
Also see: Payment Terms Scheduling
Security Deposits and Separate Charges
Security deposits are handled separately from booking payments.
If enabled for the booking policy:
The refundable security deposit appears separately during checkout
The amount is not included in the reservation total
The security deposit uses the guest’s saved payment method unless updated later
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.
Guests may therefore see:
The booking payment
A separate refundable security deposit amount
If security deposits are not enabled for the booking policy, no security deposit amount appears during checkout.
Guests may see the reservation total and the refundable security deposit as separate charges during checkout and on their bank statement.
Direct booking checkout page showing reservation charges and a separate refundable security deposit amount
Also see: Security Deposits for Direct Bookings
Why Guests Sometimes See Multiple Charges
Guests may occasionally report seeing multiple amounts on their bank statement.
This is usually caused by:
A booking payment plus a refundable security deposit
A temporary authorization hold
Multiple payment installments
A failed authorization that has not yet disappeared
A payment retry attempt
This does not usually mean the guest was charged twice.
Ask the guest:
Is one amount marked as Pending or Authorization?
Does one amount match the security deposit?
Is the reservation using installments?
Authorization holds are controlled by the guest’s bank and may take several business days to disappear.
If duplicate charges are still suspected, contact Hospitable Support with the reservation code.
What Happens if a Payment Fails
If a payment fails:
The reservation is not confirmed
The guest is prompted to retry payment
The authorization hold is released automatically
Common causes include:
Declined cards
Expired cards
Insufficient funds
Failed 3D Secure verification
Fraud prevention blocks
Also see: Direct Booking Payment Failures
How Hospitable Prevents Duplicate Charges
Hospitable includes safeguards to help prevent duplicate payment captures.
Multiple Payment Attempts
If a guest:
Refreshes the checkout page
Clicks Pay multiple times
Retries payment after a delay
Hospitable reuses the original authorization whenever possible to avoid duplicate captures.
Simultaneous Booking Attempts
If two guests attempt to book the same dates simultaneously:
Only one reservation can be confirmed
The unsuccessful authorization is released automatically
Duplicate reservations are prevented
Payouts for Direct Bookings
After payment is successfully captured:
Funds are processed through your payout provider
Payout timing depends on your bank and provider
Payout history can be reviewed inside Hospitable
Go to:
Direct Bookings → Payout History
orSettings → Payments & Payouts → Payouts
Bank processing times vary by financial institution and payout provider.
Key Things to Know
Direct booking payments use authorization before capture
Guests may temporarily see authorization holds
Installments display future payment dates during checkout
Security deposits appear separately from the reservation total
Security deposits are usually collected 2 days before check-in
Payment retries do not create duplicate reservations
Failed authorizations are released automatically
Payout timing depends on your payout provider and bank