Booking flow modes
Pick how much commitment a guest makes before you get involved.
The booking flow is configured in the dashboard under Bookings - Booking settings, not as embed parameters. Three modes are available:
| Mode | How it works |
|---|---|
| Inquiry only | Guest submits name, email, dates, and a message. You review and respond. No payment collected. |
| Request now, bill later | Guest submits a booking request. You confirm or decline, then send a secure payment request for manual payment. |
| Pay in widget | Guest enters card details and pays at the time of booking. Requires Stripe Connect setup. |
What are guests booking?
Above the booking modes, the Setup tab asks what your guests are booking. A stay (the default) shows check-in and check-out dates, counts nights, and asks how many guests are coming. A vehicle or equipment shows pick-up and drop-off dates, counts days, and never asks for a guest count, in all 24 languages and in every email. Full details, including how a rental day is counted, are in Vehicle & equipment rentals.
Which mode fits your calendar sync
Calendars do not update in real time. RentalBeam re-checks your feeds often, but the platforms you sync from (Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com) only refresh their own exported calendars on their own schedule. A booking taken on one may not have reached its feed yet. Here is how each mode handles that:
- Inquiry only. You review every request before anything is confirmed, so nothing is booked or charged until you say yes.
- Request now, bill later. Same review step, same safety net, and it works no matter how fast your calendars sync.
- Pay in widget. No review step, so the widget re-checks your connected feeds when a guest submits, to catch conflicts before the reservation is accepted.
If you list the same dates across several platforms, Inquiry only and Request now carry the strongest built-in protection against double bookings.
What guests see
The booking form collects:
- —Check-in and check-out dates (pick-up and drop-off on a vehicle or equipment rental), checked against your current availability before the request goes through
- —Guest count (adults and children broken out separately, and pets, if you turn those counters on). Never asked on a vehicle or equipment rental
- —Name and email
- —Optional message
- —Custom fields you define in the dashboard, including file uploads (photo ID, license, documents)
- —Card details if Pay in widget mode is enabled