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Glad to see this here because I was just coming to ask about this.
I was updating a booking for which I've already received a $500 reservation deposit by check. I filled out the first payment and indicated I'd gotten paid by check. I clicked on Schedule New Payment to get the second (final) payment set up 60 days prior. I set the dates I wanted the reminder sent. However, I don't know at this time whether the guest would like to pay by check or credit card. So I tried leaving that part blank, but it would not allow me to save the payment request without including a credit card number.
It would be great if we could schedule it to go out without indicating which payment they need to make, I'd like to leave that up to them. This is also important down the road when I have international clients and I might suggest different ways to pay altogether than what I suggest to US clients.
So is it possible for me to schedule a second payment and not include the credit card number? That would be very helpful.
I also have a question about security deposit information. I would like to include information for them about how the security deposit will be reserved when this second payment notice goes out. Up until this time, my quotes to them haven't includes security deposit information at all. I don't want to surprise folks with the information about needing to reserve a security deposit. I'd like to communicate that to them somehow in advance so they know what to expect. In addition, I have some repeat clients whom I do not want to charge security deposits. I need to make sure I have that option as well. Not sure yet if I do, I haven't gotten that far yet in booking since most of mine are many months away yet.
Thanks!
Happy Thursday, everyone!
I wanted to take a second to talk about something that users have been asking about for a few weeks - the payment reminder emails that are automatically sent to guests.
What's the deal with reminder emails?
If you have guests that pay by check or PayPal, no second payment or security deposit is automatically scheduled. How do those guests remember to send their second payment?
Maybe you entered a manual booking and forget to schedule the second payment?
The system now sends payment reminder emails for any booking where there's an outstanding balance and second payment is not already scheduled. Payment reminder emails are sent 10, 5 and 1 day(s) before the due date of the second payment. The due date is based on the quote or property billing rules for that booking.
You can control how the reminder emails look through email templates. Want to change the wording, add styling, add other fields, remind the guest about other booking information at the same time? You can. Go nuts with your own custom template.
This template exists for both payments and security deposits.
Again, the reminders are sent 10, 5 and 1 day before the due date of the payment or security deposit, and only where no scheduled payment or security deposit already exists.
But what if I don't want this? How do I turn it off?!
We've already gotten a lot of feedback about this feature, and some users were pretty unhappy that guests were getting blasted with (possibly untrue or irrelevant) reminders about payment.
To combat that, we made sure to include a lot of options for turning it off and every level: properties, quotes or bookings.
For a particular booking, if you know the guest never needs any of these reminders, you can turn them off under the Payment and Security Deposit tabs. Just hit the Skip button.
If you want it skipped for someone before they even book, you can do that on the quote you send them. Go into the quote billing settings and flip it off there. The booking that results from the quote will automatically have the reminders turned off.
If you never ever want reminders going out, for any reason, you can kill them globally on the property. Open the property, go to Rules and turn them off.
Remember that there is a setting for both the payments and security deposits. You need to turn them both off anywhere you're disabling them.
Manual bookings ask you about the reminders right on the create page
To make it even easier to kill reminder emails, the manual create-booking page asks you right when you're creating the booking if you want the guest to get a reminder.
This mitigates the problem of you, for instance, bringing in a manual booking from Airbnb and then forgetting to turn off the reminders. You're asked immediately when creating the booking.
The default setting for these checkboxes depends on what the property is set to. If the property has reminders disabled, the create-booking page will have them disabled by default.
How can we do payment reminders better?
As soon as this feature went live a few weeks ago, a lot of users sent in feedback. Some loved it - it saved them having to remind guests offline - but other users hated it and didn't want to nag or bother guests about paying when that was already covered other ways.
We do feel that payment and security deposit reminders emails are a necessary feature in OwnerRez. We've seen many situations where having a reminder would have saved problems. For instance, a 2nd payment wasn't scheduled and the booking wasn't fully paid when the guest showed up on arrival day.
But how can we do it better? Talk to us and send ideas. We already have some upgrades we'd like to do around this process, but your feedback is valuable. Contact Us or add posts to the forums; we're listening.
Thank you for all these great new additions!
My trial runs out tomorrow and I am ALL IN with you guys. Thank you for everything.
So much going on, so little time!
Once again, we've found ourselves pushing out so many new releases and updates that haven't taken the time to announce it to everyone! I wanted to take some time this morning to list the updates, fixes, enhancements and tweaks (yes, those are all different types of things :-) that have gone out over the past several weeks.
This is by no means the entire list of bugs fixed or changes made, but the following items are new features that everyone should really know about. These new features can help you be more versatile or save time in your work. Please take the to read through. Drum roll please...
Rules for Minimum Stay (both Night & Holiday Night) have been added to Seasons
A lot of users mention that they have different Minimum Stay rules per season. You might require 5 nights during High Season but allow 2 or 3 nights on Low Season. You can now do that. Open any season and check out the new Rules section.
If you have Minimum Stay specified at the property and season levels, both, the season rule will override the property one.
The guest also sees a specific warning with the season name when the rule kicks in.
We are planning to add more rules to the season level, so that you can allow or block things during different parts of the year.
Field code for the quote table without payment links or footer text
You can now include the quote table (that block of text that shows the guest their name, info and charges) without showing any payment links.
Some of our users like to give the guest a quote, but, until they've vetted the guest, they don't want the guest to be able to pay or do anything else. You can now do that.
When the field code transforms, at render time, the entire bottom area of the quote block is gone.
This is also useful for sending information to someone else about the guest (the owner, if you're a manager) to keep them up to date but include payment links.
Time Zone can now be set per Property
Each property can now have its time zone set. Open one of your properties, and click Change under General Info. Select the time zone for that specific property.
You may have properties in different time zones, so you want to remember that this is a per-property setting, not a global time zone setting for your account.
Why did we do this? There are features that require displaying time for the property or coordinating calendar information, and time zone is an important aspect of this. You'll more about this below.
Standard Check-In and Check-out times can now be defined per property
Most users know that bookings can be marked for early check-in or late check-out. Without those set, the booking times are considered "standard". Well, what is "standard" exactly? Now you can define it.
Like time zones, above, you can now configure the standard time that your guests are supposed to check-in and checkout, and you can do this per property.
Open a property, click on Rules and look at the "Defaults" section.
You are not required to set these times. You can simply leave them as "Standard" on the property and the guest will be shown "standard" as text where check-in/out times are displayed.
But if you'd like for the property to use specific word, set the check-in/out times and you'll be good to go.
iCal Links now correctly show Check-In time, Check-out time and Time Zone per property
Do you share your iCals with other people, like a housekeeper? Previously, we hard-coded iCal event times (arrival/departure time) to the same time per day. This caused calendar complications with some users. Even for those users who don't care about time, we like to be specific and exact here at OwnerRez.
So we overhauled iCals to do time correctly. Your iCal links will now correctly embed the correct check-in/out time, either based on the booking or property defaults, and also show the correctly formatted time zone if it's set on the property.
Custom iCal Links can now include notes and custom booking fields
For those iCal power users, who are share information with staff, you can now embed your custom booking fields and notes.
You have to specifically mark, on the custom iCal Link, that you want to include notes and fields.
When you do, your third party calendars will show everything we have for notes and fields.
Please note: this only applies to custom iCal Links for the property. The default iCal Link never shows any private booking information of any kind.
Field code for Check-In and Check-Out specific times
You can now show the "11:00 AM" or "Standard" specific check-in/out times in templates or agreements using new field codes. These field codes only specify time, not dates, and can be used on the property or booking level.
These can be used as a great little reminder in a pre-arrival or pre-departure email sent to the guest or to staff.
Guest payment form for now allows dynamic options for entering custom amounts
This one was long overdue.
Say the guest wants to make a second payment on their booking, but not the final full amount. Or say that they want to split up their payments between friends in the group. Or say that you entered a manual booking and want the guest to make a payment but only their first deposit, not the entire amount.
You can now do all that using the same payment form as before.
Send that payment link to the guest, and depending on the booking due date and other factors, they will see new amount fields where they can enter how much they want to pay.
The booking's balance and due date are checked to determine if (and how) these "how much" amount fields are shown. Quickly:
Collect custom field data directly from the guest during quote acceptance
Have you ever wanted to ask the guest other information when they're accepting the quote and paying? Now you can.
Custom field definitions now include settings for whether the guest should be presented with the field while they're submitting their information and whether or not you require a response.
When the guest gets to the Point of Contact page during quote acceptance, they are then asked about the field definition.
If you've set the field to be required, they have to enter something. When the booking is created, this information is stored on the booking just like it would be if you had entered it yourself.
Text color on Book Now/Inquiry widget can now be set to a non-black color
Some users have websites with darker background colors. Our widgets are designed to have transparent backgrounds which allows the website's background color to come through and make sure the widget matches.
This is a problem however for websites that have dark, or fully black, backgrounds because the widget has black text. Unless you know how to use the CSS Override field, the label text won't be readable.
We've added a Text Color setting to the Book Now/Inquiry widget that allows you to quickly pick a different color for text (field labels).
Field codes for guest phone(s)
You can now show the guest's phone number (or multiple numbers) in templates or agreements using new field codes. These field codes are similar to the guest email address field codes. If you go with multiple, it will show in a comma separated list.
Four-digit decimal places for charge rates
Some users have tax rates that are 3 or 4 digits. Even though most currencies round to 2 digits, it's important you are able to display a 3 or 4 digit decimal rate to the guest. If your tax rate is really 5.449% as mandated by the state or county, then that's what should be shown.
You can now do that. In bookings and quotes, the Rate field on charges will accept up to 4 decimal places without rounding. The Amount field still rounds to 2 digits when calculating the amount.
Widget settings have expanded to include lots of logic and display options
Don't want the rate to calculate on your booking widget? Or perhaps you want the rate only if there are no rule violations?
Want to require a phone be entered?
Want to validate the inquiry fully before allowing them to even send an email?
Want to allow wide-open inquiries for even no-date requests?
Check out the widget settings now. There are a lot of new options.
That's it for now
Lots of other stuff going on, but I wanted everyone to know about these specific feature updates so that you can go make them work for you right away.
As always, if you've seen other change in the system and have questions, or just want to chat about it, please let us know.
I agree with Nancy. And I've been told about HomeEscape.com as an owner-centric alternative. I just put my listings up there, we'll see what happens.
Homeaway Communities has some pretty active forum threads. They have allowed them to remain on the site, but I believe they do delete some of the comments.
There is a class action suit filed by one gentleman, filed in Texas where HomeAway is based.
There's a lot of scuttlebutt about starting up owner-owned and operated sites for listings. Also a lot of little startups are appearing. I personally don't think any of these will gain any traction in the short run. My hope is that a bigger player steps in soon and just creates a mega-classifieds service and is satisfied with taking in subscription fees. To me the guest fee wasn't the most egregious problem, it was the gradual and incessant need for Homeaway/VRBO to control and micromanage the owners' business. The stick vs. the carrot approach is also not working for them. The first good high profile alternative that appears in the marketplace, and you'll see a mass exodus of homeowners. In the meantime, many of us are beefing up our websites, using social media, and diversifying as much as we can.
Most of the people who follow this blog are already well aware of the new service fees that HomeAway has imposed on travelers.
Large media outlets are beginning to pick up on the story. From the Chicago Tribune:
Online travel giant Expedia purchased HomeAway last year for $3.9 billion, and the new fee is widely seen as a means of squeezing profit from the deal
Make your voices be heard, folks!
What can I do?
Search around and find communities that are protesting. Even if you don't want to blog or write openly about it, you can join the community and like/vote/encourage them to keep at it.
The Consumer Affairs website has a very active discussion about the situation.
There is a "Just Say No to VRBO" group on Facebook you can join.
What other protest websites or forums have you found? Add them to the comments below.
This unfortunate chain of events happened several years ago. To the best of my knowledge, no one was ever prosecuted--the management company was accepting reservations and taking deposits and payments the afternoon before they closed--they had to know they were closing and took the money anyway. That is theft under Florida law--I am a former Florida state prosecutor and I know what it takes to prove theft. The prosecutors failed to do their duty--both Federal and State.
I was just chatting with an OwnerRez user who told me about a terrible situation that happened to him. The company managing his vacation rentals just closed and isn't returning any refunds to guests or payments to owners!
CBS 24 in Atlanta covered the story:
If you plan to vacation along the Gulf Coast between now and Labor Day the condo you booked may not be available.
CBS Atlanta has learned a popular rental company in Panama City Beach, a popular vacation spot for many Atlanta residents, has closed its doors unexpectedly this week.
Conyers resident Jon Meier owns a condo on the coast and received an email this week from his rental management company, Oaseas Resorts, saying the company will be closing due to "management issues and economic conditions, including cash flow."
Owners say they haven't received rent payments for June or July and Meier is out roughly $10,000.
"So it absolutely infuriates me that somebody is holding or has removed thousands and thousands of dollars from my pocket," Meier said.
A former Oaseas employee sent this email to condo owners saying the company would not refund money to guests.
Oaseas management said they didn't anticipate the situation.
"We knew the economic conditions and so forth and other things were causing pain, but everybody thought it would work. Then it got to the point that it was wiser for us to start to close it down," Oaseas manager Thomas Duggan said.
Meanwhile, another Panama City Beach rental company, Emerald View, organized Operation Save Face. They've identified 50 condo owners willing to donate their units for next week.
"Somebody needs to help these guests because they saved their money all year to come down here and enjoy it," Emerald View manager Tom Donahue said.
Oaseas Resorts informed the public in a news release that they could contact The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach if they wanted to re-book.
CBS Atlanta News checked with The Resort Collection and they said you can book, but it's not free.
Also, Panama City Beach police said they are conducting a criminal investigation into the matter.
Oaseas Resorts also shut down the properties they manage in the Smoky Mountains.
Wow!
Didn't anticipate cashflow?? That's preposterous. Guest money should always be held in escrow by the management company. The management company should never be using guest payments to fund their general operations. This is obviously a case of fraud and hopefully the police will investigate thoroughly and the company owners will be prosecuted.
But what's the take-away here?
If you're currently using a management company, maybe you should think about stepping out on your own. Management companies can collect, and sit on, tens of thousands of dollars for your properties. In the high months of summer, if they suddenly go bust or someone swipes all that money, where does that leave you?
We created OwnerRez specifically because we didn't like the shenanigans of management companies. In our case, it was mostly about laziness and attention to detail, but fraud can happen too!
OwnerRez has all the tools you need for managing your properties quickly and professionally just like any management company can do, and, in fact, often a lot better. You can use triggers and auto-responders to respond quickly and send messages on a scheduled basis. You can take credit cards and get renter agreements signed without lifting a finger.
Stop paying that percentage, stop tolerating laziness and financial risk, and start running your own operation. It's easy!
Southern Florida, I flipped Canada on for our QB app integration. Looking at the docs, I don't see any reason it wouldn't work. Could you try it out and let me know what you find? It should move your bookings and payments into QB perfectly fine. Let me know, ~Sam
Hi Southern Florida, that's a great suggestion. I *believe* that it's just a matter of flipping on other countries, but I'll note that down in our dev roadmap to check into for you. It may require some additional testing and such on our side. If there's no major issues, we'll get that turned on for you.
I was glad with the Online Quickbooks integration but when I tried to integrate OwnerRez told me that my Canadian version of QuickBooks isn't integrated yet.
Does OwnerRez have plans to integrate the Canadian version as well? Because, I assume, that OwnerRez should have some Canadian clients as well (probably second after the U.S. clients...)...
Totally understand, thank you for putting that feature on the list!
Wendy
Short answer is yes, but it may take awhile. QB does have a "web connector" that can be used to to keep Desktop up to date, and there's good documentation for it. But it's also a matter of priority. As usual our development roadmap keeps growing faster than we can work on things! :-)
Ok, that's a bummer, do you think you'll be trying to adapt it to the desktop after you get the online version done?
Thanks,
Wendy
Wendy, we'd love to support QB Desktop but it's really hard to build integration in a way that is as seamless and powerful as the Online version. With Online, our system just talks to their system directly under the covers. Everything moves right across with zero interaction from you. There is **supposed** to be a way to do that Desktop too but, at the moment, we're focusing on the Online version. Best, ~Sam
Will we be able to integrate with the desktop version of quickbooks?
Love this idea!
Thanks,
Wendy
Yes, that's exactly right. You are not charged for anything done in the first 30 days.
-Michelle
Hi, thanks for the fast reply
So if for some reason I can't get an excel export from Kigo, if I manage to input all my bookings manually within the 30 day period I won't be charged? That's what I understood from your post but just want to be sure.
Thanks
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for reaching out!
It sounds like you'd want to us our Excel import (Tools > Import Bookings from Excel) instead of the iCal import. Our Excel import gives you the ability to import a lot more booking detail and preserves all the information you're talking about.
Does Kigo have any export options you can use to prepare your bookings in Excel? CSV would work too if they have that. You can convert CSV to Excel very easily.
Imported bookings are free, but manually created bookings are not. However, if you're still in the first 30 days, which you appear to be, then ALL bookings are free no matter how they are entered.
Is there anything else I can help you with?
-Michelle
OwnerRez can now sync booking and payment records automatically with QuickBooks without you lifting a finger!
If you use QuickBooks Online to manage your accounting, you'll want to set this up immediately. Go to Settings > QuickBooks to get started.
After you click the Connect button, you'll be redirected to Intuit's website where it will ask you to login, select your QuickBooks company (if you have more than one) and authorize OwnerRez to make changes.
The process is dead simple, and if you're already logged into QuickBooks, you won't even have to type anything. Just a couple clicks.
After you've clicked Authorize, you'll be redirected back to OwnerRez where we'll show you the authorized connection and present you with a page where you can map your charge line items, taxes and properties.
Take a minute to read over the mapping options. The options allow you to specify how invoices and payments will be created on the QuickBooks side from your OwnerRez bookings. It's important that you get the mappings right. If you don't understand the mapping options, please contact us directly for help.
Which bookings will be synced?
Once QuickBooks is configured for a property, all bookings that are changed thereafter will start syncing with QuickBooks. Even changing the name or guest count on the booking will trigger a sync.
To keep track of whether a booking has synced or is still pending, and to see the result of the sync, visit the QuickBooks tab under the booking.
You can also manually trigger it to sync from the same page.
If you have historical bookings that you want synced to QuickBooks, you'll need to manually trigger each one by visiting the booking > QuickBooks page and clicking the Sync Now button. If you have more than few bookings, let us know and we'll bulk update them all from our side.
What exactly is synced with QuickBooks?
When any bookings are created, updated or canceled in your OwnerRez account, our system will create corresponding updates in your QuickBooks account.
Specifically, each OwnerRez booking is mapped to a single "invoice" in QuickBooks and payments are synced as well. If you search QuickBooks with your OwnerRez booking number, you should find a corresponding invoice with the same number.
That invoice will have the same payments in QuickBooks that you see in OwnerRez.
What type of financial transactions are not included?
For the moment, refunds and security deposit are not synced with QuickBooks, only payments are. This is because there are several ways "credits" can be recorded in QuickBooks and the way you do your accounting makes a difference. Security deposits, likewise, would create complications, so we've left them out too.
We do not create "deposit" records in QuickBooks because there is no way for OwnerRez to know which payments settled together or if you deposited them at different times. You will need to manually record deposits on your own, though having OwnerRez payments automatically entered should make that process significantly easier.
There are many ways of mapping data or displaying transactions. If you have a different way of doing things, and our sync isn't playing ball, please let us know so we can create options for you.
Hi,
I am trying to onboard to Ownerrez (moving over from Kigo) and I have 113 bookings to import which are future bookings for this year, so I need to keep all the renter details within the booking.
I know using the ical import won't import the booking data, which is fine - my plan was to import the dates, then add the details manually.
However the import function BLOCKS OFF the dates, it doesn't create a booking that I can edit and add the data.
If I add each booking manually, will I be charged? I have already paid for each booking in Kigo, I don't want to have to pay twice.
Any help with the unboarding process greatly appreciated.
Sarah
Our new import tools have been really popular. Turns out, everyone wants to use our awesome reporting to look at their old records (or data in other systems). Yay!
But we quickly heard the same question from lots of people - are the imported bookings going to cost me? And the answer was yes. That stopped a lot of people from importing historical data. After all, you might have a thousand bookings to bring in, which means a heck of an invoice.
Not anymore!
Now, imported bookings are free. Whether they're imported by iCal or Excel or some other format, they won't cost you anything. Your monthly invoice now shows a new line item for "imported bookings" and they'll be free like blocked-off time.
And keep sending feedback about the import process. We've fixed or enhanced dozens of things over the past week since everyone started using it. Let us know what else you run into that doesn't work or that hangs you up.
In preparation of several upcoming updates, we've changed the booking and quote charge line items to use specific Tax references for all tax lines.
While you can still enter a manual description and rate for any tax line, the Type drop-down now expects a specific tax to be referenced.
When a tax type is selected, the description and rate are automatically filled in for you, but you can change or tweak those values after the fact.
To change the taxes that show in the Type drop-down, simply update your global Tax settings. If you're wondering why a particular tax isn't showing in the drop-down, make sure the tax is used on the same property as the booking or quote you're looking at.
Why did we make this change?
Previously, tax line items were the same as any other charge line item which made tax reporting difficult. The tax report currently creates columns based on description you've used in charges. The problem is that descriptions can vary greatly. You might have entered "State Tax" on one booking but put "Sales Tax" on another - both being the same thing in your mind. But the tax reports sees this as two different things since the words are different. With this change, tax reporting can be exact even if charge descriptions vary.
We also getting ready to release QuickBooks integration that requires tax line items to be specific to the type of Tax reference. This update smooths the way for that release.
Here at OwnerRez, we've seen a lot of growth in new sign-ups over the past 6 months. With that, many new users (and old ones too!) have brought with them booking data from other software systems.
And hey, our reporting is kick-ass so why not use the same reports to check out your old booking data? Or maybe you have bookings from listing sites or spreadsheets you keep on the side.
Whatever it is, you can now import bookings, payments and refunds directly, using Excel.
Under the Tools menu, you'll see the new options for importing data.
From there, select the type of records you'd like to import and follow the instructions. First, you'll download the Excel spreadsheet template to fill out. Once the spreadsheet is the way you want it, upload it back on the same page and we'll bring it in.
We have a number of validations and checks in place to make sure you don't link to the wrong data or use bad references.
If you enter bad data or reference properties or bookings that don't exist, you'll see nice clean messages that explain what the problem is.
Do make sure to read the instructions on the import pages so that you understand how to include the legacy booking # from other software systems to match up your payments and refunds.
As always, if you have any questions, use our contact page to talk to us directly or post questions in the public forums.
It's been a month or so since we've discussed anything, so I wanted to share some quick news about a rolling set of releases we've pushed out over the past couple days.
FlipKey inquiry parsing is back!
FlipKey decided to put the guest's email address and phone number back inside the inquiry email. We noticed this in the past day or so, so we immediately jumped on it.
As of right now, your incoming inquiries from FlipKey/TripAdvisor will have the email/phone found and pulled out as in times past. We don't know how long this will last though, so it may stop working in the near future. If that happens, our system will once again ask you to supply the guest contact info with the same assistance buttons to open the inquiry on the FlipKey website.
Searching on email addresses and phone numbers
From the search bar, you can now search on full or partial email addresses to pull up the booking and guest information.
Previously, this was not working right - you had to use guest name or address information - but it is now working correctly.
Turn off rate quoting on the Book Now widget
We've added an option to completely disable the automatic rate quote that pops up when visitors to your website enter information into the Book Now/Inquiry widget.
Fixed red flashing background on property photos
When adding and editing property photos (go Property > Photos), some users reported seeing a red flashing background. This has now been fixed.
Updated Book Now widget to work within multi-layer website frames
If your website uses nested frames, the Book Now widget will not open a new window or tab no matter how many frames your websites users.
Currency formatting
A number of updates have been made both inside the app and on public-facing guest forms to correct some currency bugs and display issues.
Users that use non-USD currency will also now see the correct amount and currency on OwnerRez billing pages.
Importing bookings from Airbnb iCal
If you use the iCal importer, you'll now notice a new option to create bookings. This only works if the iCal feed is the correct format and has enough information.
Currently, we have only found that Airbnb iCals have enough guest information to make this possible. If you discover other iCal feeds that include guest information, let us know.
You can now give your guests an additional form of payment when accepting quotes or making payments online - PayPal!
Start by adding a new Payment Method to your account. You'll see a new PayPal option right at the top.
We've made PayPal easy as pie to add to your account. Instead of copy/pasting API credentials, you can simply login to your PayPal account and link it to OwnerRez. It literally takes one click after signing into PayPal.
Note: the PayPal account you use must be a Business type (not Personal). It is very simple to convert your Personal PayPal account to Business under the Profile & Settings areas of PayPal, or you can sign-up for a new PayPal Business account.
After granting permission in PayPal, you are redirected back to OwnerRez where you can see your linked account and make changes to your settings like Currency and Statement Text.
That's it! Now, on all your quotes, payments and security deposit forms, PayPal will show as an available payment option.
If you have a credit card or check payment method set up, those payment methods are not affected. They will still display as available options, same as ever, according to the same rules and settings. PayPal is simply an additional method that appears next to them.
The Other Types of Transactions
Taking payments isn't the only thing you can do with PayPal. The guest can submit their security deposit with PayPal and you can issue refunds.
Security deposits work exactly the same way with PayPal that they do with credit cards. Once reserved, you can view and release the security deposit exactly like you do with credit cards. You will also get reminder emails about the security deposit exactly like you do with credit cards. There's no difference to the workflow except that the transaction flows through your PayPal account instead of your credit card gateway/merchant account.
Likewise, refunds for PayPal are the same as credit card refunds. When you need to send a refund, do the same thing you do now, and the refund will go back to the guest.
Limitations of PayPal
It is important to understand that because of how PayPal works in protecting the guest's card data, there is no way for second payments or security deposits to be scheduled automatically. The second payment and security deposit have to be manually submitted by the guest - something they are asked to do by the system with a new reminder email template that we just released. The reminder email should nudge the guest into submitting their payment or security deposit, but it's something you'll want to keep an eye on.
This is awesome. One idea to make it even more useful would be to do a cumulative total comparison at the bottom of the report.... e.g. compare total revenue month over month to previous year.
Damon
We've done two big improvements to the reporting section over the past couple of weeks. Reports, data exports, etc. are very important to us, and we try to continuously improve them. If you've got any ideas, or a report that you think would be cool, shoot us an email or post on the forums.
Compare with previous period
A common request is to be able to compare what happened this year with what happened last year, to see what movement was made and in what direction. For example, were bookings up or down, year over year, for a given month?
We've added a new feature that lets you compare periods on every summary report (Bookings, Payments, Booking Stats, Occupancy).
Look for the "Compare With Previous" checkbox near the bottom of the page. This will change the report mode to compare each column with the corresponding column from last year. For example, if you're running bookings by month for a year, you'll end up with something like this:
Notice how Dec 2015 is compared with Dec 2014, etc. You can also switch to showing absolute values vs. relative percentage changes.
We've had the listing sites report for awhile. That's good to get an overall idea of what listing sites are sending the most inquiries, or converting the best, but it doesn't give a good feel of what happens over time, month to month or year over year.
Enter the inquiry/booking volume report. This tracks inquiries or bookings by listing site over time, allowing you to see if listing changes are increasing or decreasing your inquiry volume. This report is also enabled for compare with previous period.
Inquiry parsing for FlipKey/TripAdvisor has been restored
Over the past few weeks, you've probably noticed FlipKey inquiries being sent to you as "Unrecognized email" from OwnerRez. The parsing/discovery code in our system has been updated and those emails are now, once again, being inserted as proper inquiries into OwnerRez.
What about the guest contact info?
For many users, FlipKey no longer shares the guest contact info (email address and phone number) anymore. That information is completely locked down behind your FlipKey login. When that occurs, a "MISSING CONTACT INFO" status will appear on the inquiry with resolution options for you to login and copy the guest info out of FlipKey. We've made the process as fast as possible where you can click a single button to open the inquiry on the FlipKey website directly and copy the guest info back to the OwnerRez inquiry.
New Inquiry statuses and resolution
We are expanding inquiries in the near future and developing a method to retrieve all information from the walled-garden listing sites (FlipKey, Airbnb, etc.). To that end, we have laid the groundwork for inquiries that have partial information, malformed information, rule violations, etc. so that you have a clearer understanding of the status of the inquiry and the steps you need to take to resolve it and respond.
You will notice that there is now a Status column on the Inquiries grid and a new Resolution section on the overview page of the inquiry.
The Status of the inquiry changes as activity occurs throughout the system. The Resolution section will always show action buttons relevant to the current status.
Here are the inquiry statuses:
