Online Booking Systems

[Moira]

We currently have one property and are in the process of buying another. I currently use paypal but was having a look at other online booking systems. I see from other posts that Rental systems is used by a few people. Are there any others that can be recommended? To be honest it's all a bit confusing, my understanding is you need an internet merchant account, a payment gateway and also an online systems to handle the enquiries. Is it better to shop around for each of these or go to one provider?

[greenbarn]

I've been gradually trying to get my head around this as well.

My understanding so far, by way of a summary (open to demolition from anyone with experience!!) is that there are really two separate issues to consider, which can be seen independently:

1 - Taking payment online.
2 -Taking bookings online.

As far as 1 is concerned, there seem to be various methods including the Rental Systems option, Paypal, and having a merchant account plus gateway - and the last of these in particular I could do with knowing more about, although AFAIK they can be from completely different suppliers - eg Sage as the gateway and HSBC as merchant, or whatever. More information and recommendations gratefully received!

As you can add online payment to your own website, 2 is a whole different issue; my understanding of this is something like Holiday Bookings Online who provide a web-based system showing real-time availability - ie it will update from "available" to "provisionally booked" or something as the customer clicks on "book now". The customer then has various payment options which you can set, including a link to your own online payment facility, through to not offering any form of payment at the time and until you have gone back to the customer with confirmation - when of course you can request payment in whatever form suits, be it cheque, card etc.

In other words, 1 and 2 are not mutually dependent. That's my summary of where I've got to with trying to understand it, anyway.

Hopefully others will be along with more information to benefit both of us!

[Moira]

Thanks Greenbarn, you've helped to make it clearer. Ultimately I suppose cost will play a big part in what is the best way to go. As I'm in a city a lot of my competitors tend to have the all singin', all dancin' systems of booking and payment. But they also tend to have a lot more properties!

[Hells Bells]

I use the Holiday Bookings online system, linked to a Paypal account for payment.

[barbersdrove]

I use Eviivo. Yes, you pay a commission but it's so easy to manage and they place me on a large number of agents websites.

[Giddy Goat]

For Option 2, look no further than this! Created by an LMH member, it has more bells and whistles than you can shake a stick at!

viewtopic.php?t=6373

[Moira]

Thanks Giddy Goat, I'll have a look into it. Must have missed this discussion when I searched.

[Giddy Goat]

A pleasure Moira - sometimes it takes several stabs using a range of search words to find what you need. I didn't have to for this though as I knew where to find it!

[greenbarn]

For Option 2, look no further than this! Created by an LMH member, it has more bells and whistles than you can shake a stick at!

viewtopic.php?t=6373

I've looked long and hard at e-richard's system, and I like it a lot. But it's not intended as an online booking system and doesn't do that job - if that is what you really want. Everything else (allowing for the obvious caveat that no system fulfils the needs of all of the people, all of the time) it looks as though it does well, and that's borne out by the comments on the people on LMH who use it. I understand the support's pretty good too.

Definitely worth more than a look if you don't need or want real time booking.

edited to add: ps both PIMS and holiday-bookings-online have very useful demos to have a play with. It's surprising how many of these systems don't provide that.

[e-richard]

...it's not intended as an online booking system and doesn't do that job.

Absolutely correct. Its what I call a Booking Management System.

What this means is that you negotiate the enquiry from listing sites/your own website or whatever by traditional email/phone methods, and when guest is ready to book, then and only then do you send them a link to an integrated booking form, and from then onwards it helps you manage the process. OK, I lied a little. You do enter all enquiries yourself, so that you never take double bookings again !

It will not take bookings or payments directly from potential guests.

[Giddy Goat]

Yes, sorry Richard - that was what I meant by "taking bookings on line" but I didn't intend it to be understood that someone else accepted the bookings for the owner. Should have made it clearer but was rushing at the time.

[Moira]

Thanks all for your comments. I'll have a look at the various systems suggested.

[orroland]

Our booking system, SuperControl enables us to show live availability and prices on our website and take secure online bookings. It integrates with 14 different payment processors.

It was quick and easy to set up and is tailored to match the design of our website.

It also has a range of useful management and marketing tools and stats to show how our business is doing.

supercontrol.co.uk

[greenbarn]

Our booking system, SuperControl enables us to show live availability and prices on our website and take secure online bookings. It integrates with 14 different payment processors.

It was quick and easy to set up and is tailored to match the design of our website.

It also has a range of useful management and marketing tools and stats to show how our business is doing.

supercontrol.co.uk

I did have a look at your product, but it seems wincingly expensive (ignoring the Lite version which doesn't allow for standard email templates, or offer much in the way of management tools) at £340 pa plus £200 startup. The online demo certainly gives the impression that it's primarily aimed at agencies with diverse property types in different locations.

[Hells Bells]

I get most, if not all of the features of it from Holiday Bookings Online for considerably less.