How-To Guide
5 min read
Updated October 2026

How to accept direct bookings on your Strikingly vacation rental website

A Strikingly site can take real booking requests without a PMS or a separate form builder. The recommended setup pastes the RentalBeam booking widget script into an HTML section, with Show in iFrame left unticked so the form can grow as guests fill it in. The HTML section needs a Pro or VIP plan. You decide whether guests submit an inquiry, get billed after you approve by bank transfer, cash, or a secure card payment link, or pay inline with Stripe Connect, all with no commission and no RentalBeam booking fee on your direct bookings.

Why add a direct-booking form to your Strikingly site?

Guests who reach your own website are your highest-intent traffic. Letting them request or book a stay without leaving the page, and without paying an OTA service fee, is the most underused conversion lever in vacation rentals. A direct-booking form on Strikingly turns the page from a brochure into a booking surface.

  • Take booking requests directly from your own website
  • Keep Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com synced so the form never sells double-booked dates
  • Offer coupon codes, seasonal pricing, custom fields, and booking rules
  • Choose between inquiry-only, bill later by bank transfer, cash, or a card link, or inline Stripe Connect card payment
  • Zero RentalBeam commission on direct bookings: hosts keep 100% of their booking revenue
RentalBeam direct booking widget showing selected check-in and check-out dates, nightly pricing, and the guest request form
The RentalBeam booking widget: the same form you will place on your Strikingly site.

What you need

  • A Strikingly site on Pro or VIP
  • A RentalBeam Pro plan with a booking-ready calendar
  • At least one connected OTA or iCal availability source

Pro plan required

The booking widget is part of RentalBeam Pro. We never take a cut of what you charge. When a guest pays by card, only the standard Stripe card-processing fee applies, paid to Stripe rather than RentalBeam.

Setup steps

  1. 1

    Create a booking-ready RentalBeam calendar

    1. Open your RentalBeam dashboard and add or open a rental.
    2. Connect at least one iCal source (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Google Calendar) so the booking widget never offers double-booked dates.
    3. Set your nightly pricing, optional seasonal rules, minimum stay, advance notice, and prep time.
    4. Decide whether bookings should be inquiry-only, host-reviewed and billed later by bank transfer, cash, or a card link, or paid inline with Stripe Connect.

    Choose payment flow at any time

    You can start with inquiry-only or pay-later requests today and switch to inline card payments later without rebuilding the page. The widget URL stays the same.
  2. 2

    Copy the right booking widget embed for Strikingly

    RentalBeam recommends the script embed for Strikingly. Use the matching code format below as your reference.

    html
    <script src="https://cdn.rentalbeam.com/v1/embed.js" async></script>
    <div class="rentalbeam-booking-form" data-rental-id="your-calendar-id"></div>

    With Show in iFrame unticked, the booking form script sits on the page and can grow as guests fill it in.

    Strikingly publishing reminders

    • The HTML section needs a Strikingly Pro or VIP plan.
    • If the form does not appear, paste the iframe snippet into the same section instead.
    • Send one real test inquiry from the published site to confirm the email reaches you.
  3. 3

    Paste the booking widget into Strikingly

    Builder-specific install steps

    Use these steps to place the RentalBeam booking widget exactly where guests are ready to book.

    Strikingly

    Add an HTML section, paste the script snippet, and leave Show in iFrame unticked. Needs a Pro or VIP plan.

    Recommended: Script

    With Show in iFrame unticked, the booking form script sits on the page and can grow as guests fill it in.

    Use the Script tab for this builder.

    1. Open the page where guests should send booking requests
    2. Click Add New Section, choose App Store & HTML, then HTML
    3. Paste the RentalBeam booking widget script snippet, leave Show in iFrame unticked, and save
    4. Publish, then send a test inquiry from the live site on a computer and a phone

    Before you publish

    • The HTML section needs a Strikingly Pro or VIP plan.
    • If the form does not appear, paste the iframe snippet into the same section instead.
    • Send one real test inquiry from the published site to confirm the email reaches you.
  4. 4

    Publish and submit one live test inquiry

Where to place the booking widget on the page

  • Put the form right below your calendar so guests can check dates and book in one place.
  • Leave Show in iFrame unticked so the form can grow as guests fill it in.
  • Send your test inquiry from the published site, on a computer and on a phone.

Treat the booking form as the page's primary CTA

High-converting direct-booking pages put the booking form directly next to or under the availability calendar so guests can check dates and request a stay in a single visual area.

No commission on your direct bookings

RentalBeam Pro never takes a cut of what you charge: your booking revenue is 100% yours. When a guest pays by card through RentalBeam, the only deduction is the standard Stripe card-processing fee, which is paid to Stripe, not RentalBeam.

  • No commission: RentalBeam never takes a cut of your booking revenue.
  • No RentalBeam booking or application fee on guest card payments.
  • Card payments carry only the standard Stripe card-processing fee; inquiry-only and pay-later bookings have no per-transaction cost.

Troubleshooting

Strikingly booking widget questions

Can I accept direct bookings on Strikingly?

Yes. RentalBeam's booking widget installs on Strikingly with a standard embed flow, and it works alongside your existing Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com listings instead of replacing them.

Should I use a script or iframe booking embed on Strikingly?

With Show in iFrame unticked, the booking form script sits on the page and can grow as guests fill it in. In practice, script is the recommended default for Strikingly.

Does RentalBeam take a commission or booking fee on guest card payments?

RentalBeam Pro is a single direct-booking plan with no commission and no booking fee. It adds the booking form widget, guest-payment workflow, coupon codes, seasonal pricing, custom fields, booking rules, host email tools, and reply-from-inbox guest messaging. RentalBeam never takes a cut of your booking revenue. When a guest chooses to pay by card through RentalBeam, the only deduction is the standard Stripe card-processing fee, which is paid to Stripe - not RentalBeam. Inquiry-only, pay-later, and off-platform bookings (such as bank transfer) carry no per-transaction cost at all.

Will the booking widget sync with Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com?

Yes. The booking widget reads from the same iCal sources as your availability calendar so guests never see dates that are already booked on another platform.

Do I need a full PMS to use the booking widget?

No. RentalBeam is built for independent hosts who want synced availability and a real direct-booking surface without paying for a full property management system.

rentalbeam.com/dashboard/rentals/6f1d2c4e-3b7a-4c58-9e21-8a0f5d7b2c19/widgets/calendar
A rental's Calendar widget section: a live three-month preview, its embed code, and the color presets below

Launch your Strikingly direct-booking page today

Create your RentalBeam Pro calendar, paste the booking widget into your site, and start taking commission-free booking requests with synced availability.