- With Pay by Link by Cloudbeds Payments, you can collect your guest's payment using a secure link. Send the payment link by email or messaging apps. The unique payment links allow you to keep track of each payment request.
- Pay by Link also works in House Accounts or Group Folios.
- Apple Pay and Google Pay options are also available for Pay by Link users. Learn how to set them up here.
- Only the Property Owner and users with the following privileges can send payment links: Add Payment and Authorize and Process Credit Card Payments. Learn more: Roles and Privileges
- The Pay by Link option doesn't work for canceled reservations. It works if the reservation is in one of the following statuses: Confirmed, Confirmation Pending, In-House, Checked-out, or No Show.
- If you use Whistle for Cloudbeds, click here for more information on sending a pay-by-link message.
How to send a payment link
- Using the search bar, look for the guest's reservation.
- Click Folio
- Select Folio
- Click Payment
- Select Add Payment
- Select the guest to assign the payment.
- Select the folio to post the payment.
- Ensure the amount is correct.
- Select the payment type Pay by Link.
- Choose the payment method (Charge or Pre-Authorize).
Charge: Collects payment at the time the guest enters their card information and approves the payment. The money is collected, and you will see a payout within the next few days.
Pre-Authorize: Checks to make sure the guest has the funds in their account, and will hold the selected amount, at the time they approve the payment. With Pre-Authorize, you will need to go back to the folio to collect the payment and settle the funds (within 30 days of the authorization) to receive the payment in a payout. Learn more: How to Process Payment Through Payment Gateway - Enter the guest's email address to send the payment link.
- Select the expiration for the payment link.
- Add an internal note (optional).
- Allocate payment. Learn more here: Payment Allocation Overview
- Click Continue.
A window will pop up for you to copy the link that was sent via email. You can paste the link in a text and send it via other communication apps (if necessary). Click Cancel or the X button to close the window.
An email received by a guest
Your property will email the customer with the subject line "Property_Name - Pay by Link."
Property contact details are managed on the Property Profile page.
The email will include the property logo and the following text:
Thank you for choosing [Property_Name], please complete a secure online payment.
[Property_Name]
[Property_Address]
[Property_Phone]
[Property_Email_Address]
Invoice
Reservation ID:
Amount:
Example:
Guest pays using the link
Once the customer clicks PAY NOW in the email, they will be directed to a payment collection page where they can enter their contact and credit card details, agree to your Terms and Conditions, and click PAY.
3D Secure authentication
3D Secure is required by law in Europe and is optional in other regions, though banks may still use it as a tool to reduce fraud. Learn more: Cloudbeds Payments (Europe) - Everything about 3D Secure
Below is an example of an authenticated checkout flow by Cloudbeds Payments:
Step 1: The customer enters their card details (previous section: Guest pays using the link)
Step 2: The customer’s bank assesses the transaction, and at this step, the 3D Secure protocol (authentication using fingerprints, passwords, SMS codes, etc.) will be prompted.
Step 3: If required by their bank, the customer completes an additional authentication step.
Payment is approved
Once the guest approves the payment, the details will be posted on the folio with a note: Payment from Pay by Link. You can allocate the payment or refund the transaction.
- The payment only displays on the folio once the funds are collected.
- If you included any internal notes when creating the link, they will also be included in the folio.
Refund the transaction
Submit the refund directly from the folio when needed.
If you don't see the option Refund Transaction, contact the Property Owner and ask to enable this privilege for your role. Learn more: Roles and Privileges
- On the folio, locate the payment details.
- Click the gear icon.
- Select Refund Transaction.
- Enter the amount to be refunded.
- Keep the checkmark to allocate the refund.
- Click Process Refund.
Copy, resend or cancel the link (Sent Pay-by-Link tab)
To manage links that have been sent but not paid, view the Sent Pay by Link tab within the reservation. You can copy, resend, or cancel the link.
Only the Property Owner and users with the privilege to authorize and process credit card payments can access the Sent Pay by Link tab. Learn more: Roles and Privileges
- Sent Date: Date the link was sent.
- Expiration Date: The expiration date was configured for the link.
- Status: Status of the link (Sent, Paid, Canceled).
- Amount: The amount set to be charged or authorized.
- Payment Type: Charge or auth (authorized).
- Email: The email address to which the link was sent.
- Link Type: What part of the system the link is related to.
-
Actions: Click the button to choose action: copy, resend or cancel link.
Copy link: This allows you to copy and paste the link into a communication app. For example, if you would like to send the link via WhatsApp, you can copy and paste it.
Resend link: For when the guest states that they did not see the link within their email. When you select to resend the link, the original link expires, and a new link will be created and sent for security purposes. The status of the original link will be updated to Canceled.
Cancel Link: The link will expire, and the guest can no longer input payment.
Expired link
If the link is expired or canceled and the guest clicks the link, they will see an expired link message:
Comments
Is there an option to use a Payment Link if your Payment Gateway is through Authorize.net?
Hello, John Young!!
Thank you for asking this question.
In the case of Authorize.net particularly, we can kindly suggest you double-check this option directly with the payment gateway for more information.
Best regards!
Once guests pay using the link, they see at the payment screen that they will receive a confirmation/receipt of their payment. However, they never do. I have looked everywhere for a way to set up a confirmation of payment after using a link, but I can't find anything.
Is there a way to send an automatic email confirming they paid? Almost 100% of guests that pay using a pay-by-link reach out to me to make sure their payment was processed and to wonder why they did not get the confirmation email.
Hello, Hubert Parent!
Thank you very much for reaching out and sharing this valuable feedback.
This idea has been shared in our Cloudbeds Community and is available for votes. Please feel free to access it and upvote by clicking here. Community ideas are shared with the corresponding team(s) for review and future consideration.
Thank you once more for your feedback while we continue to enhance the platform.
Kind regards!
Hi Hubert Parent,
I had this trouble once too. But then I changed some settings:
- all reservations whcih are not from OTAs and which aren't payd directly get the status "pending confirmation" then I customized the "pending reservation" template including the information that the guest will get a confirmation after receiving the deposit.
- then I customized the "reservation confirmed" template.
since this moment I almost never had the question again.
best regards
Lukas
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