How to accept direct bookings on your WordPress vacation rental website
WordPress is a strong fit for direct bookings because you can drop a real booking form straight into the same page where guests are already checking availability. This guide covers the cleanest WordPress setup path: connect a calendar, paste the RentalBeam booking widget into a Custom HTML block, and decide whether you want inquiries only, secure pay-later links, or full Stripe Connect card payments - including the No application fee Pro variant.
Why add a direct-booking form to your WordPress 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 WordPress 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, secure pay-later link, or inline Stripe Connect card payment
- Optional zero RentalBeam application-fee Pro variant for hosts who do not want a platform cut
What you need
- A WordPress page you can edit
- A RentalBeam Pro plan with at least one booking-ready calendar
- At least one connected iCal source so the widget never sells double-booked dates
Pro plan required
The booking widget is part of RentalBeam Pro. Pro is sold publicly in two variants - RentalBeam Pro is sold publicly in two variants - Standard and No application fee. Both unlock the same booking form widget, guest-payment workflow, coupon codes, seasonal pricing, custom fields, booking rules, and host email tools. The only difference is the booking fee model on hosted guest card payments: Standard adds a small RentalBeam application fee on top of normal card processing, while No application fee removes the RentalBeam application fee so hosts only pay normal card-processing fees.. Both include the same booking workflow, coupon codes, seasonal pricing, custom fields, and booking rules.Setup steps
- 1
Create a booking-ready RentalBeam calendar
- Open your RentalBeam dashboard and create or open a calendar.
- Connect at least one iCal source (Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, Google Calendar) so the booking widget never offers double-booked dates.
- Set your nightly pricing, optional seasonal rules, minimum stay, advance notice, and prep time.
- Decide whether bookings should be inquiry-only, host-reviewed with a secure pay-later 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
Copy the right booking widget embed for WordPress
RentalBeam recommends the script embed for WordPress. Use the matching code format below as your reference.
html<script src="https://rentalbeam.com/api/rentalbeam-booking-form.js" async></script> <div class="rentalbeam-booking-form" data-calendar-id="your-calendar-id"></div>WordPress usually allows the booking form script directly, so you can keep the best loading and mobile behavior.
WordPress publishing reminders
- Place the booking form directly below the availability calendar or next to your primary booking copy so the page reads as one clear booking flow.
- If your theme adds very tight column widths, give the booking form section its own full-width row so the fields do not feel cramped.
- Always submit one live test inquiry after publishing so you can confirm the widget renders correctly and the notification email arrives.
- 3
Paste the booking widget into WordPress
Builder-specific install steps
Use these steps to place the RentalBeam booking widget exactly where guests are ready to book.
Recommended: ScriptWordPress
Best fit when you can add a Custom HTML block or plugin.
WordPress usually allows the booking form script directly, so you can keep the best loading and mobile behavior.
Use the Script tab for this builder.
- Open the page with your booking CTA
- Insert a Custom HTML block where the booking form should appear
- Paste the booking widget embed code
- Update the page and submit a live test inquiry
Before you publish
- Place the booking form directly below the availability calendar or next to your primary booking copy so the page reads as one clear booking flow.
- If your theme adds very tight column widths, give the booking form section its own full-width row so the fields do not feel cramped.
- Always submit one live test inquiry after publishing so you can confirm the widget renders correctly and the notification email arrives.
- 4
Publish and submit one live test inquiry
Where to place the booking widget on the page
- Put the booking widget directly below the availability calendar so guests can check dates and request a stay in one flow.
- Avoid narrow theme columns around the widget - give the booking form a full-width or wide section so fields breathe on mobile.
- After publishing, submit one real test inquiry to confirm notification emails arrive and the secure host review link works.
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.Pick the right Pro fee model
RentalBeam Pro ships in two publicly-listed fee variants. Both include the same booking and guest-payment workflow, coupon codes, seasonal pricing, custom fields, and booking rules. The only difference is whether RentalBeam takes a small application fee on guest card payments.
- Pro Standard - lower monthly price plus a small RentalBeam application fee on guest card payments.
- Pro No application fee - higher monthly price, no RentalBeam application fee, only standard Stripe card-processing fees apply.
- Both variants support coupon codes such as MIRA50, ENGINE60, and FREE100 at checkout.
- You can switch between variants at any time - the booking widget URL, calendar, and connected iCal feeds stay the same.