{"id":4838,"date":"2019-04-09T09:08:08","date_gmt":"2019-04-09T09:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/?p=4838"},"modified":"2023-12-05T17:11:42","modified_gmt":"2023-12-05T17:11:42","slug":"online-booking-management-systems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/online-booking-management-systems\/","title":{"rendered":"A review of online booking management systems for holiday home owners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Most independent holiday cottage owners are aware of the benefits of having an online management and booking system. Not only will it help generate new bookings, but it also saves us money and time. We know that customers visiting our websites expect to find up to date rates and availability, and many prefer to be able to book their holiday instantly. If not, they could go elsewhere. In addition, we are aware that booking software reduces repetitive tasks such as replying to email enquiries one by one, sending out booking forms and arrival information and going to the bank to pay in a cheque. It also removes the risk of guests double booking and enables owners to take bookings 24\/7. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the thought of setting up a booking management\nsystem and accepting online payments can still be a bit daunting. Perhaps your\ncurrent system is working \u2018just fine\u2019, and the thought of having to get to\ngrips with a new system makes your head spin. Maybe you don\u2019t want to \u2018lose\ncontrol\u2019 of your booking system and you fear accepting online payments will be\nexpensive and you won\u2019t have that initial contact with your guests. In addition,\nit is hard to know which company is the best one to use. At first glance there\nis a lot of technical jargon and the different companies all seem to be talking\nabout the same thing, so which is the best one for you? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article aims to highlight the main things to consider when looking at online booking management systems and some of the main companies that provide them. As with so many things in the holiday rental market, there is no one size fits all and different companies will suit different holiday home owners who have different needs and requirements. This list is not exhaustive but aims to provide you with a starting point to building your own efficient online management and payment system.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is an online booking management system?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An online booking system helps you to manage the\nday to day tasks of the booking process. Emails will be\nautomatically generated to send payment reminders, booking forms and arrival\ndetails. You will be sent reminders and \u2018to do\u2019 lists for those jobs that the\ncomputer can\u2019t automatically do for you! Assuming you use more than one advertising\nplatform it is possible to synchronise your\navailability calendars. Most systems also enable you to take online payments.\nIn a nutshell, it makes the booking process much easier and less time consuming\nfor both you and your guests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having an online booking system is also likely to increase your bookings as it catches potential guests when they are looking at your property and allows them to book at times of the day that you might not be available. For example, some people might start browsing for a holiday once the kids are in bed and they can relax with a glass of wine. If something they like catches their eye and they can book it there and then, they are more likely to book rather than waiting until the morning when they are back at work and the moment is lost. It also allows people from different time zones to make a booking when you might be asleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supercontrol claims that by using their booking system you will spend 80% less time per booking, you will get 50% more website bookings and 60% of guests prefer to book online.<\/div>\n\n\n\n

It is unlikely that you will find one product that will do everything to suit your specific needs perfectly. It is important to decide what functions you really cannot live without and which ones you are realistically unlikely to use. Here are a few things to consider when comparing online booking management companies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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OTA\n(Online Travel Agency) versus online booking company<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you advertise your property through an OTA it is possible to use the\nOTAs default booking system to manage your bookings. However, you need to be\naware that you will be bound by the OTAs rules and regulations which might not\nsuit you. For example, some OTAs allow their guests to cancel up to 24 hours\nbefore arrival. Others will hold onto payments made by the holiday makers until\nafter they have checked in, even though the holiday might have been booked\nmonths in advance. Most OTAs do not allow you to have direct contact with the\nowner until after the booking has been confirmed and the deposit paid. Some\nguests like to be able to speak to the owner before making a booking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most online booking companies will allow you to dictate your own rules\nand set your own policies and procedures.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Costs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Probably the first thing\nyou are keen to establish is how much a new online booking and management\nsystem is going to cost. Obviously the cheaper systems will offer less, so you\nneed to work out exactly what your priorities are and what your rough budget\nis. Some companies offer more than one system so it may be\npossible to start with a cheaper package and upgrade as and when you need to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you add up all the individual costs as some systems have additional fees. As well as the subscription charges you need to check whether you will be charged a fee for each booking. Some systems will have set-up costs, costs for handling credit card payments if you choose to accept them and extra charges for simple updates or adding additional users such as property managers or cleaners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Channel\nManager and iCal<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most online booking systems talk about \u2018Channel Managers\u2019. A Channel Manager will synchronise key information across multiple booking websites. This is most commonly used for availability calendars. Once a booking is confirmed it will automatically update your availability calendars across all the different websites on which you advertise. The Channel Manager for some online management systems also synchronises pricing, listing content and photos across multiple sites. This obviously saves time and also removes the risk of double booking.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An online booking and management system does not necessarily need a Channel Manager to synchronise calendars. This can also be done through an iCal (short for iCalendar) feed. iCal is a digital format that allows calendar information to be shared between different calendar applications. It can be used as a way to synchronise bookings between calendars on various OTAs as well as independent booking sites. For example, Independent Cottages can take a feed from any website that offers an iCal feed which will automatically update your availability calendar on the Independent Cottages website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Online\npayments <\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Alongside online management systems, it is likely that you will also want to be able to take payments online. Not only does this make the booking quick and simple, but it is also the most secure way for guests to pay for their holiday. Many holiday makers prefer the security of paying by credit card rather than making a bank transfer. Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, any purchases that are between \u00a3100 and \u00a330,000 are protected by your credit card provider. Offering online booking will therefore give you a competitive advantage which is likely to increase your occupancy rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most online payment systems are easy to set up. The most common online payment methods used by holiday house owners include WorldPay<\/a>, Wave<\/a>, TransferWise<\/a>, Stripe<\/a>, Square <\/a>and Elavon<\/a>. Paypal<\/a> is another popular payment method. However, Paypal payments are not technically covered under section 75 like credit card payments. Alternatively, you can use an online booking system that has a payment system built into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you choose which online payment method works best for you it will be important to consider the different transaction rates that they each charge, whether there will be subscription fees on top of this, how quickly the money will be in your account, and whether guests have to create an account to make a payment. Whilst online payment systems are going to involve a little extra cost, they are also likely to secure extra bookings, and when compared to accepting on-line bookings via an OTA, they are likely to be cheaper and provide faster access to funds. You can find out more about taking credit card payments here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considerations when choosing an online\nbooking system<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Flexible\nbooking<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some systems offer instant booking, whilst others give you the option to review enquiries before accepting them. Sometimes you will receive a booking enquiry that is not a good match for your property. You might therefore prefer the opportunity to review the enquiry before you decide whether to decline or accept it and process the payment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do offer instant booking it is a good idea to ensure that guests still have the option to contact you in case they have any questions. Some guests prefer to speak on the phone and like to be reassured that they are booking their holiday with a genuine rental owner. After all, this is one of the benefits of booking direct! Many owners also like to build rapport with their guests to ensure that they get the most out of their holiday as well as ensuring that they don\u2019t arrive with unexpected pets or additional guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easy\nto use<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is essential that your guests find your booking software easy to use and that they feel secure using it. If they find your website frustrating they are likely to go elsewhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also important that the software is compatible with ipads, tablets and all mobile devices. More and more people now book their holidays on their phones and if your system doesn\u2019t work properly they will switch to another site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Technical\nissues<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It can take time to get used to new systems and technology. If you experience any difficulties, you\u2019ll want start-up guides and technical support on hand to answer any queries. Check what technical support is on offer. Is it via email, live chat, telephone or training videos? Also, is there a time zone difference? It is not helpful to have to wait several hours to get an urgent problem sorted out because there is a time difference between you and where the helpdesk is based.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check that the software is updated regularly. This shows that the company is constantly improving and is keeping up to date with recent developments. It is also important to check how much downtime the site has as guests should be able to book your property 24\/7. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which online booking company to use?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before you choose a provider you should be able to have a free trial to play around with all the features so you can get a feel for how it works, whether it meets your needs and how user-friendly it is. Here are some of the most popular companies that you might consider using. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supercontrol<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Supercontrol <\/a>is a comprehensive property management system which is popular with owners, managers and agencies. It offers an extensive booking system, marketing and guest management tools, as well as reporting and analysis features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online\npayments<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Supercontrol is fully integrated with HolidayrentPayment and Opayo. Deposits, payments and refunds can be paid by guests entering their card details directly onto the booking form. Supercontrol can also connect you to other payment providers such as PayPal, Barclaycard and WorldPay, but guests will be directed away from your website to one of these third party sites to make their payment. For a summary of the features of the main processors Supercontrol integrate with click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bookings are provisional so you can choose whether you want to decline or take payment and confirm the booking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Channel\nManager<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Supercontrol integrates with over a hundred booking websites<\/a>, including Independent Cottages, and a number of OTAs as well as numerous smaller agencies. As well as linking up all your different calendars it is also possible to synchronise pricing and listing content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Prices start at \u00a3470 for one owner, plus a set up fee of \u00a3250. There is also a 1% service fee on bookings via Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, HomeAway and TripAdvisor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holiday\nBookings Online<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Holiday Bookings Online<\/a> is a booking software that claims to be easy to set up and easy to use. The system lets you manage your bookings, prices and booking preferences, including short breaks and special offers. There is also the option of having your booking pages customised to match your website design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online\npayments<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

There is a wide range of payment choices offered through Holiday Bookings Online including over the phone, bank transfers or online payments<\/a> which can be made through PayPal, Stripe or a merchant account<\/a>. You can choose which payment option you offer your guests, and whether you want to offer them more than one method or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bookings are instant so you are unable to review them\nbefore payment is made. However, the Channel Manager system ensures that your\navailability calendar is always up to date. You can get in touch with the\nguests as soon as they have made a booking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Channel\nManager<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Holiday Bookings Online has a Channel Manager system<\/a> that will automatically update your availability calendar on the most popular advertising sites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Costs<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Prices start at \u00a3129, plus a \u00a339 set up fee (plus VAT). There are additional costs for extra packages and additional properties. You can have a 15 day free trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bookalet<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bookalet<\/a> offers the full management of the booking process from an availability calendar, correspondence with the guest, payment tracking and final invoicing. They pride themselves on being easy to use, claiming that you will be \u2018up and running within 10 minutes of signing up for your free trial\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online\npayments<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

You can accept online payments via a Merchant Services Account through a selection of payment providers. You can choose whether you want to accept instant online payments or if you would prefer the request to come through as a provisional booking which you can review before the payment is processed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Channel\nManager<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

You can manage all your availability calendars, including from Independent Cottages and OTAs, from a single Bookalet account to minimise the chances of double booking.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bookalet offers three different packages<\/a> \u2013 Lite, Gold and Agent. It depends on how many properties you have and what your needs are as to which package is best for you. The cost ranges from \u00a3129 to \u00a3219 (plus VAT). There is no set up fee for the Lite and Gold packages. There is a \u00a3100 set up and support fee for the Agent package. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For an extra fee (between \u00a3149 and \u00a3179 plus VAT) you can also build your own website<\/a> through Bookalet. You have a 30 day free trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Free\nto Book<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Free to Book<\/a> offers a no contract, no obligation, no cost booking engine for your website. When you are ready to expand you can opt into their Plus+ services for a fee<\/a>. Free to Book is a low cost option which allows you to take bookings and payments online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online\npayments<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

You can take card payments with Freetobook via Stripe. The payment system<\/a> costs \u00a389 (plus VAT) a year. Stripe will also charge a small transaction fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bookings are instant so you are unable to review them\nbefore a payment is made. If you advertise your property on other websites you\ncan opt into their Channel Manager package to ensure your availability calendar\nis up to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Channel\nManager<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Freetobook\u2019s Channel Manager<\/a> is part of their Plus+ services. For a fee of \u00a31 per booking (with a cap of 69 per month) and a \u00a349 one off connection fee per channel there is a wide range of travel sites you can integrate with. You can control your rates as well as your availability.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For \u00a349 a year you can opt into their iCal service<\/a> which enables you to synchronise your calendar with any other iCal compatible service, which will include most booking sites. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a\nglance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n  \n <\/td>\n Supercontrol\n <\/td>\n Holiday\n Bookings Online\n <\/td>\n Bookalet\n <\/td>\n Free to\n Book\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n Cost *\n <\/td> From \u00a3470 per year, plus a \u00a3250 set up free (plus VAT). <\/td> From \u00a3129 depending on the package. Set up fee of \u00a339 (plus VAT). <\/td> Ranges from \u00a3129 to \u00a3219 depending on the package (plus VAT). \u00a3100 set up fee for the Agency package. <\/td> Start up package is free. Optional add ons for Channel Manager, google ads, iCal and online payments. <\/td><\/tr>
\n Trial\n period\n <\/td> 14 day free trial <\/td> 15 day free trial <\/td> 30 day free trial <\/td>\n Free\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n Synchronise\n calendars\n <\/td>\n Yes\n <\/td>\n Yes\n <\/td>\n Yes\n <\/td>\n Yes for\n \u00a31 per booking.\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n Payment\n gateways\n  \n <\/td> Fully integrated with HolidayrentPayment and Opayo. Can also be connected to other payment providers <\/td> Stripe , Paypal or a merchant account<\/td>Paypal or a merchant account
<\/td>		Stripe payments can be set up for \u00a389 (plus VAT) a year <\/td><\/tr>
\n Fully\n automated online booking\n <\/td>\n Yes\n <\/td>\n Yes\n <\/td>\n Yes\n <\/td>\n Yes\n <\/td><\/tr>
Ability to review and either accept or decline bookings <\/td>\n Yes\n  \n <\/td>\n No\n <\/td>\n Yes\n <\/td>\n No\n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n

*  Please note that prices were accurate at the time of writing (December 2023).<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

Next\nsteps<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes it might feel that as an independent holiday\ncottage owner you will never be able to compete against the OTAs. Their vast\nmarketing budgets and online booking and payment systems give them a reassuringly\nprofessional edge. However, whilst reaching the top of google rankings is a\ndifferent (and arguably bigger) mountain to climb, there is no reason why you\ncan\u2019t have your own professional and efficient online management and payment\nsystem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the right booking software you can save time, money and create more bookings. This article by no means gives an exhaustive list of booking management companies (other popular ones to consider include anytime booking<\/a>, Bookster<\/a>, Lodgify<\/a> and Scrumpy<\/a>) or issues that you need to consider, but it aims to point you in the right direction to conduct your own research before choosing the company that works best for you. <\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n

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Most independent holiday cottage owners are aware of the benefits of having an online management and booking system. Not only will it help generate new bookings, but it also saves us money and time. We know that customers visiting our websites expect to find up to date rates and availability, and many prefer to be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":4895,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[63,4],"tags":[95],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4838"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4838"}],"version-history":[{"count":124,"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4838\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10577,"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4838\/revisions\/10577"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}