Deposit bookings
Some bookings require a deposit before they are confirmed. This page explains how the flow works, what Bonnie does at each step, and how to handle issues.
How it works end to end
- The caller asks to book a slot that requires a deposit.
- Bonnie creates a temporary reservation (sometimes called an option or hold) in your reservation system.
- Bonnie tells the caller a deposit is required and that the booking is only confirmed once payment is completed.
- The caller receives a payment link by WhatsApp or SMS.
- Once the guest pays, the reservation moves from temporary to confirmed.
- If the guest never pays within the window, the reservation expires and disappears automatically.
Bonnie does not take payment herself. She only creates the option and sends the link. Payment always happens on your reservation system's own page.
What the guest should know
Bonnie always tells the caller the booking is not confirmed until the deposit is paid. If a guest later claims they were not told, you can check the call transcript in your dashboard. See Your dashboard.
Why a booking disappeared after Bonnie made it
The most common reason is that the guest did not pay the deposit in time. The option expired and the reservation system removed it automatically. Bonnie does not delete bookings.
Ask the guest to check whether they received a payment link by WhatsApp or SMS and whether they completed it. If the link has expired, contact us with the call-ID and we will trace what happened. See Get help.
The "no deposit required" window
Some systems (including Formitable) have a setting that waives the deposit when a booking is close enough to the reservation time, for example within a few hours, because there is not enough time for a payment link to be useful. If Bonnie is not mentioning deposits for bookings that should require one, check whether this window is set too wide in your reservation system.
Modifying a deposit booking
| Change | What Bonnie does |
|---|---|
| Fewer guests | Makes the change and notes it for the venue. The deposit is settled later. |
| More guests | Transfers to your team. The deposit amount would need to change. |
| Cancel within the refund window | Transfers to your team so they handle the refund correctly. |
| Cancel outside the refund window | Can cancel, with a note that the deposit is non-refundable. |
For questions about amounts, refund policies or contracts, your team handles it. See Get help.
"I cannot update this reservation"
If a system error appears when updating a deposit booking, it is usually because the booking falls within a deposit refund period and the system is blocking changes to protect the deposit. Your team will need to handle this manually in the reservation system.
Guestplan: last-minute bookings fail
Guestplan does not accept bookings made less than 15 minutes before the reservation time. If a caller phones just before the table time, the booking will fail and Bonnie transfers to your team so they can add it manually. See Integration connected but something is wrong.