Pro Feature — Deposit Payments Setup Guide
Set up partial deposit payments for hotel bookings in under 5 minutes. Choose between first night rate, a fixed amount, or a percentage of the total — the plugin calculates and displays the deposit automatically at guest checkout.
⏱️ Setup time: Under 5 minutes
🔒 Requires: Modern Hotel Booking Pro
💳 Works with: All payment methods
📅 Last updated: July 2026
⚠️ Pro feature: Automated deposit calculation at checkout requires Modern Hotel Booking Pro. Free version users can still accept deposits manually — see the free version workaround at the bottom of this guide. Get Pro →
📑 In This Guide
- Understanding the 3 Deposit Types
- Hotel Booking Deposit Payment Setup — Step by Step
- What the Guest Sees at Checkout
- How the Remaining Balance Works
- How to Accept Deposit Hotel Booking Payments — All Methods
- Free Version: Hotel Booking Partial Payment Workaround
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding the 3 Deposit Types
Before configuring anything, decide which deposit model fits your property. Modern Hotel Booking Pro supports three distinct approaches, and the right one depends on how your property operates. On beachhouse.ro, the first night rate is used — it’s a fair commitment that doesn’t ask guests to pay a large sum months in advance, and it’s easy for guests to understand immediately.
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First Night Rate
The plugin automatically charges the nightly rate of the first night as a deposit. No manual calculation needed — it adjusts automatically as room rates change with season or availability.
Best for: Properties where the nightly rate is the natural unit of commitment. Easy for guests to understand — they’re paying for one night to hold their booking.
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Percentage of Total
You set a percentage — for example 25% or 30% — and the plugin calculates the deposit automatically based on the total booking value. A longer or more expensive stay means a proportionally larger deposit.
Best for: Properties with variable-length stays or seasonal pricing where the deposit should scale with the total value of the booking.
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Fixed Amount
A set deposit amount applies to every booking regardless of the room rate or stay length — for example €100 to hold any room. Simple, predictable, and easy to communicate to guests in advance.
Best for: Properties that want a consistent holding fee — small guesthouses or B&Bs that prefer simplicity over variable deposit calculations.
Step-by-Step Setup (Pro)
This hotel booking deposit payment configuration takes under 5 minutes from a fresh install. Make sure your Pro licence is active before starting — the deposit settings panel will not appear on the free version.
Open the Deposit Settings panel
In your WordPress admin, go to Hotel Booking → Settings → Pricing. Scroll down to the Deposit Payments section. If this section is not visible, confirm your Pro licence key is entered and active under Hotel Booking → Licence.
Enable Deposit Payments
Toggle Enable Deposit Payments to On. The deposit configuration options will expand below the toggle once it’s active.
Choose your deposit type
Select one of the three deposit modes from the dropdown:
- First Night Rate — the cost of the guest’s first night is collected as the deposit. Automatically adjusts with seasonal pricing.
- Percentage — enter a percentage of the total booking value, for example 25 for 25%.
- Fixed Amount — enter a flat deposit amount in your property’s currency, for example 100 for €100.
Set the deposit value
If you chose Percentage, enter the number — for example 30 for a 30% deposit. If you chose Fixed Amount, enter the value in your currency — for example 100 for a €100 deposit. If you chose First Night Rate, no value entry is required — the plugin handles the calculation automatically based on the room’s nightly rate at the time of booking.
Configure per room or globally
Apply your deposit settings globally across all rooms, or set different deposit rules per room category. A premium suite might warrant a higher fixed deposit or a larger percentage than a standard double room. Per-room configuration overrides the global setting for that specific room type.
Save and test at checkout
Click Save Settings. Then visit your booking form as a guest would and make a test booking. Confirm the deposit amount shown at checkout matches your configuration. The booking form automatically calculates the deposit due and displays the remaining balance clearly to the guest before they pay.
What the Guest Sees at Checkout
Once deposit payments are configured, the booking form handles all the communication automatically. Guests see a clear breakdown before they commit to paying anything.
Example — guest booking a 4-night stay at €150/night with a 30% deposit:
- Total booking value: €600
- Deposit due today (30%): €180
- Remaining balance due on arrival: €420
All three figures are shown clearly at checkout. The guest pays the deposit amount using their chosen payment method. The booking is confirmed immediately. The remaining balance is detailed in their confirmation email.
How the Remaining Balance Works
The remaining balance after the deposit is shown in the booking confirmation email the guest receives. How and when it’s collected is up to you — the plugin doesn’t enforce a second automated charge. Most property owners collect the balance on arrival, either in cash, by bank transfer before the stay, or by sharing a Revolut payment link or Stripe payment link directly with the guest ahead of check-in.
This is intentional. Different properties handle balance collection differently — a remote rural B&B might take cash on arrival while a city apartment might want the full amount cleared before handing over keys. The plugin gives you the deposit infrastructure; how you run the balance collection is your call.
💡 Practical tip: Add a note to your booking confirmation email template (Hotel Booking → Settings → Email Templates) explaining your balance collection process clearly. Something like: “The remaining balance of €[amount] is due on arrival. We accept cash, bank transfer, and Revolut.” This prevents any ambiguity and reduces check-in day questions.
How to Accept Deposit Hotel Booking Payments — All Methods
The partial deposit hotel booking feature works across every payment method Modern Hotel Booking supports. The guest pays the calculated deposit amount using whichever method they select at checkout — Stripe, PayPal, bank transfer, Revolut, or pay-on-arrival.
| Payment Method | Deposit Supported | Version | How Deposit is Collected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | ✅ | Pro | Card charged for deposit amount at checkout automatically |
| PayPal | ✅ | Pro | PayPal checkout processes deposit amount |
| Bank Transfer | ✅ | Free & Pro | Deposit amount shown in confirmation — guest transfers manually |
| Revolut | ✅ | Free & Pro | Deposit amount shown in confirmation — guest pays via Revolut link |
| Pay on Arrival | ✅ | Free & Pro | No online deposit collected — full amount taken on site |
Free Version: Hotel Booking Partial Payment Workaround
The automated deposit calculation is a Pro feature. On the free version, you can still handle deposits manually with a small amount of setup.
The most practical approach: set up bank transfer or Revolut as your payment method, then add a clear note in your booking confirmation email template explaining your deposit requirement. For example: “To secure your booking, please transfer a deposit of €[your amount] to [your bank details] within 48 hours. Your booking will be confirmed once we receive the deposit.” You then confirm the booking manually from your admin dashboard when the deposit arrives.
This approach works but requires manual tracking on your end. If you’re handling more than a few bookings per month, the automated Pro deposit system is worth the upgrade — it eliminates the admin overhead entirely and the deposit is calculated and collected at the moment the guest books, with no follow-up needed from you.
Upgrade to Pro → to enable automated deposit calculation, display, and collection at guest checkout — across all payment methods including Stripe and PayPal.
Troubleshooting
The Deposit Payments section is not visible in settings
This is a Pro-only feature. Go to Hotel Booking → Licence and confirm your Pro licence key is entered correctly and shows as active. If your key shows as inactive, check it against the key in your StartMySuccess account.
The deposit amount shown at checkout looks wrong
For Percentage deposits, confirm you entered the number only — enter 30 for 30%, not 0.30 or 30%. For Fixed Amount, confirm the currency in your settings matches your intended deposit currency. For First Night Rate, check the room’s nightly rate in Hotel Booking → Rooms — the deposit will equal that figure.
Guests are being charged the full amount, not the deposit
Confirm the Enable Deposit Payments toggle is set to On and that you have saved your settings after enabling it. Clear your browser cache and any server-side caching plugin before testing — a cached checkout page may display old totals.
Still having issues?
Open a support thread on the WordPress.org support forum or email [email protected] with your deposit configuration details and a description of the issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the deposit feature available in the free version?
Automated deposit calculation at checkout is a Pro feature. Free users can still take deposits manually via bank transfer or Revolut by adding deposit instructions to their confirmation email template. See the free version workaround section above.
What deposit types does Modern Hotel Booking support?
Three: first night’s rate (automatic), percentage of total booking value, and fixed amount. Each suits different property types and booking patterns — see the deposit types section above for guidance on which to choose.
How does the guest pay the remaining balance?
The remaining balance is shown in the booking confirmation email. How you collect it is your choice — on arrival in cash, bank transfer before the stay, or via a direct Revolut or Stripe payment link sent to the guest ahead of check-in. The plugin doesn’t enforce a second automated charge.
Can I set different deposits for different rooms?
Yes. You can apply deposit settings globally or configure them per room category. A premium suite can have a different deposit rule from a standard room — per-room settings override the global configuration for that room type.
Which payment methods work with the deposit feature?
All of them. Stripe, PayPal, bank transfer, Revolut, and pay-on-arrival all support the hotel booking deposit payment configuration. The guest pays the deposit using whichever method they select at checkout.
Can I offer both deposit and full payment options at checkout?
Yes. You can give guests the choice between paying a deposit now or paying the full amount upfront. Offering both options often improves conversion — guests booking months ahead tend to prefer a deposit, while last-minute guests are more likely to pay in full immediately.
📚 Related Documentation
Need the deposit feature?
Automated deposit calculation, display, and collection at checkout is a Pro feature. Upgrade to unlock it alongside Stripe, PayPal, and automatic iCal sync.