Payment & prepayment

Flexible — no prepayment, cancel 24–48h out. Non-refundable — 10–15% off, money upfront. Partial prepayment (1 night) — the compromise. Peak dates — prepay only.

Refund scaled to notice: >7 days — 100%, 3–7 — 50%, <3 — 0% or 1 night. Force majeure (illness, cancelled flight) — discretionary, usually a voucher. Rules — in writing before payment.

Without prepayment, no-show hits 5–10% of bookings. Protection: card guarantee (pre-auth), 1-night prepayment, 24h reconfirmation. Peak — full payment.

Prepayment isn't automatically non-refundable — refund terms must be fixed in booking rules. A 'non-refundable rate' is legal if the guest explicitly agreed. Receipt/invoice — mandatory.

Online card (LiqPay/Stripe links — the small-hotel norm), cash at check-in, bank transfer for companies. Bake the 2–3% acquiring fee into rates.

Booking Payments — the platform charges the guest, you get paid minus commission (15–18%). Airbnb — guest pays at booking, you're paid after check-in. OTA virtual cards — charge next day.