How can an Irish hotel use payment links to secure telephone and email bookings?
A guest calls to reserve a weekend stay, but reception still needs the deposit. A clear payment request connects that conversation to the booking record without asking the guest to email card details.
Record the reservation and agreed deposit terms, send a booking-specific payment link, and give an exact payment deadline. Verify the successful payment against the reservation before acknowledging the deposit and sending the appropriate booking confirmation. A sent link is not a payment, and an unpaid request does not automatically cancel an agreed booking.
Agree the booking and payment terms first
A payment link takes the guest to a hosted payment page. For hotels using payment links in Ireland, the essential control is matching the request, transaction and reservation in the property management system (PMS).
- Confirm dates, room type, occupancy, inclusions and the total price in euro, including applicable taxes and mandatory charges.
- Specify the deposit amount, payment deadline in Irish local time, remaining balance and when that balance is due.
- Explain cancellation and refund terms before payment. Record whether this is a provisional hold or an already confirmed booking.
- Read back the booker's email address, assign a booking reference and name the staff member responsible for following up.
Send these details in writing with the request. The CCPC's accommodation guidance explains that cancellation policies differ, including whether deposits are refundable. Avoid describing every advance payment as non-refundable.
Worked example: a telephone booking with a deposit
Hypothetical training example: at 10:00 on 16 November 2026, a guest requests a double room in a Galway hotel, arriving 20 November and departing 22 November. The assumed rate is €180 per night, including breakfast and applicable taxes, with no additional mandatory charges. This is an illustration, not a market price or the Gleesons case.
The guest agrees to a provisional hold until 18:00 that day, with confirmation after a 30% deposit. The assumed cancellation terms allow a deposit refund until 18:00 on 18 November; later cancellation forfeits the €108 deposit. These are illustrative terms, not an Irish standard.
| Stage | Action or calculation | Control |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00: record | 2 nights × €180 = €360. | Save the dates, agreed terms and provisional hold against EX-2611. |
| Send request | €360 × 30% = €108 due by 18:00 on 16 November. | Generate the link through the approved payment system. Check recipient, amount, currency and reference. |
| Payment succeeds | €360 − €108 = €252 remaining, payable at check-in on 20 November. | Match the successful transaction to EX-2611; record its ID and send the deposit receipt and booking confirmation. |
| 16:00: still unpaid | Send one reminder after checking for a payment. | Check email delivery and contact the guest if the address was incorrect. |
| 18:00: review hold | Check transactions and any agreed extension before releasing the room. | Apply the agreed hold terms, notify the guest and record the decision. Do not assume automatic cancellation. |
The payment deadline and the link's technical expiry are separate settings. Confirm the provider's expiry behaviour before promising that a link will stop working at 18:00.
A short payment-request message
Hello Aoife, thank you for calling. Your provisional booking EX-2611 is for 20–22 November 2026, totalling €360. Please pay the €108 deposit using the secure payment button in this email by 18:00 Irish time on 16 November. We will then send your booking confirmation; €252 remains payable at check-in. The cancellation terms are included below. If payment fails, please contact reception before the deadline. Please do not email card details.
Example wording only: send it through the real payment-request template with its generated payment button and the full agreed terms.
If the payment fails
Check the provider's transaction status before requesting another attempt. If it is pending or unclear, investigate first to avoid a duplicate charge. If it has failed, the guest can try another supported method on the secure page. Alternatively, a manager may approve a bank transfer and record a revised hold deadline. Match the incoming funds before marking the deposit paid; a transfer screenshot is not confirmation of receipt.
Separate payment evidence from booking status
A verbal agreement can already create a booking contract: ECC Ireland explains the position for hotel bookings. If reception has already confirmed the stay, follow the agreed payment and cancellation terms rather than silently changing it to a provisional hold.
- Check the collected amount and currency. An opened email, clicked link or card authorisation alone does not prove that the deposit was collected.
- Keep the payment reference, receipt and guest correspondence with the reservation. Reconcile the provider's payout separately from the guest's payment.
- Before replacing a request, check existing payments and whether the old link can be disabled. Review late payments against released holds before accepting the stay.
Keep card entry on the approved payment page. PCI Security Standards Council guidance prohibits sending unprotected card numbers through email and similar messaging channels under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Tell guests which sender and payment provider to expect, and offer verification through the hotel's published telephone number.
Using payment links with RoomRaccoon
RoomRaccoon's integrated hotel payments supports payment links for deposits, prepayments and outstanding balances. Its Irish plan comparison lists payment request links across Entry, Essential, Premium and Pro. Confirm payment service provider (PSP) activation, available methods and processing fees for your property; plan inclusion does not establish those details.
The Gleesons Roscommon case study describes sending guests secure links to pay before arrival and reports fewer no-shows and walkouts. Those are that hotel's reported results, not a guaranteed outcome for another property.
For this workflow, test a manually entered booking, a partial payment, a failed attempt and the resulting guest messages. Treat reminders, deadline monitoring and room release as staff tasks unless the behaviour has been demonstrated in your configuration.
Ask to see this €108 deposit scenario from the reception team's and guest's perspectives.
Book a demo for your propertyPayment-link questions from reception
Can we request the full stay amount instead?
Yes, where full prepayment is part of the agreed booking terms and supported by your payment setup. State what is being paid and the cancellation conditions before sending the request.
Can someone else pay for the guest?
Agree who the payer is, verify the recipient and keep the guest's booking reference attached to the payment. Share only the booking information that payer needs.
Does a paid deposit authorise a later balance charge?
Do not assume it does. This workflow confirms only the payment made through the link. Check the separate authority and authentication requirements before charging a remaining balance later.
Sources and checks
Checked on 13 November 2026. Product and plan information may change; the worked example is hypothetical.
