Bookings
Everything you need to manage guest reservations, from initial booking through completion. Handle confirmations, modifications, cancellations, and reporting.
Understanding the Booking Flow
When a guest books an experience through your widget, the reservation goes through a series of steps. Understanding this flow helps you manage bookings effectively.
Guest Browses & Selects
Guest views your experiences in the widget and selects one they want to book.
- Views experience details, photos, and pricing
- Checks available dates and time slots
- Selects number of guests
Inventory Hold
System creates a 15-minute hold on the selected time slot to prevent double-booking.
- Spots temporarily reserved during checkout
- Hold automatically expires if not completed
- Other guests see reduced availability
Guest Checkout
Guest enters their information and payment details.
- Contact information (name, email, phone)
- Any custom questions you've configured
- Secure payment via Stripe
Payment Processing
Stripe processes the payment and confirms the charge.
- 3D Secure verification if required
- Funds captured immediately
- Commission calculated and held
Booking Confirmed
Upon successful payment, the booking is confirmed and everyone is notified.
- Guest receives confirmation email with details
- You receive notification in dashboard
- Provider notified (if applicable)
- Inventory permanently updated
Viewing & Managing Bookings
All bookings are accessible from Dashboard → Bookings. You can view, filter, search, and take action on any reservation.
View Details
See complete booking info: guest details, experience, date/time, payment.
Filter & Search
Filter by date, status, experience, or search by guest name/email.
Modify
Change date, time, or guest count for confirmed bookings.
Export
Download booking data as CSV for reporting or record-keeping.
List View
See all bookings in a sortable table with key details at a glance.
- • Sort by date, guest name, or status
- • Quick actions: view, modify, cancel
- • Bulk select for exports
Calendar View
Visual overview of bookings by day, week, or month.
- • See booking density at a glance
- • Click dates to see that day's bookings
- • Identify busy periods quickly
Booking Statuses
Every booking has a status that indicates where it is in its lifecycle. Understanding these helps you manage your operations effectively.
Payment is being processed. Usually resolves within seconds. If stuck, check Stripe dashboard.
Payment successful, booking is active. Guest has received confirmation email.
Experience has occurred. Booking marked complete after the scheduled date/time.
Booking was cancelled by guest, admin, or provider. Refund may have been issued.
Guest did not arrive for the scheduled experience. No automatic refund issued.
Payment failed or was declined. Guest was notified to try again.
Guest Communication
ExperienceLocal automatically sends emails at key moments in the booking lifecycle. All emails are branded with your organization's logo and colors.
| Email Type | When Sent | Contains |
|---|---|---|
Confirmation | Immediately after booking | Booking details, receipt, calendar link |
Reminder (24h) | 24 hours before experience | Date/time, meeting point, what to bring |
Reminder (Morning) | Morning of experience | Final reminder with key details |
Modification | When booking is changed | Updated details, any price difference |
Cancellation | When booking is cancelled | Cancellation confirmation, refund info |
Review Request | 24 hours after experience | Link to leave a review |
Custom Email Content
You can customize the messaging in your emails through Dashboard → Settings → Notifications. Add your own instructions, directions, or promotional content.
Modifications & Cancellations
Both you and guests can modify or cancel bookings, subject to your cancellation policy.
Modifications
Change the date, time, or guest count for an existing booking.
- Admin-initiated: Free changes anytime
- Guest-initiated: Via self-service portal
- Price adjustments: Charge or refund the difference
- Availability check: System verifies new slot is available
Cancellations
Cancel bookings when necessary, with automatic refund processing.
- Admin-initiated: Full refund issued automatically
- Guest-initiated: Subject to cancellation policy
- Provider-initiated: Full refund to guest
- Inventory restored: Slot becomes available again
Guest Self-Service Portal
Guests can manage their own bookings through a magic link in their confirmation email. This reduces your support workload significantly.
- View booking details
- Download confirmation PDF
- Add to calendar
- Request modification
- Cancel booking (per policy)
- Contact support
Refund Policies & Processing
Configure cancellation policies per experience to balance guest flexibility with your business needs.
Full Refund
Cancel up to 24 hours before for a full refund. Best for low-risk experiences.
Partial Refund
Full refund 7+ days out, 50% refund 2-7 days, no refund under 48 hours.
Limited Refund
Full refund 14+ days out only. Best for high-cost or limited experiences.
How Refunds Work
- 1Cancellation initiated
By guest, admin, or provider
- 2Policy evaluated
System calculates refund amount based on policy and timing
- 3Refund processed via Stripe
Automatic refund to original payment method
- 4Guest notified
Email confirmation with refund details (3-5 business days to appear)
Manual Refunds
For exceptions not covered by your policy (weather cancellations, special circumstances), you can issue manual refunds from the booking detail page. Choose full or partial refund amounts.
No-Shows & Late Cancellations
Handle situations when guests don't show up or cancel at the last minute.
No-Shows
- Mark as no-show from booking details page
- No automatic refund issued
- You keep the full booking amount
- Optional: issue goodwill refund or credit
Late Cancellations
- Automatically handled by cancellation policy
- Partial or no refund based on timing
- Guest sees policy before booking
- Clear expectations reduce disputes
Reduce No-Shows
Reminder emails (24h and morning-of) significantly reduce no-shows. Make sure these are enabled in your notification settings. Consider requiring a phone number so you can send SMS reminders for high-value bookings.
Reports & Exports
Generate reports and export data for accounting, analysis, and record-keeping.
Available Reports
- Daily/Weekly/Monthly booking summary
- Revenue breakdown by experience
- Cancellation and refund report
- Provider payout summary
- Guest manifest (for specific dates)
Export Options
- CSV export for spreadsheets
- Filter by date range, status, experience
- Include or exclude cancelled bookings
- Scheduled automated exports (coming soon)
Connecting Stripe for Payments
ExperienceLocal uses Stripe to securely process payments. You'll need to connect your Stripe account to receive payouts from bookings.
Setup Steps
- 1Go to Dashboard → Settings → Payments
Find the Stripe connection section
- 2Click "Connect Stripe"
You'll be redirected to Stripe's secure onboarding
- 3Complete Stripe verification
Provide business details, bank account for payouts
- 4You're all set!
Payments will be processed automatically
Payout Schedule
Funds are available in your Stripe account 2 business days after a booking. From there, Stripe transfers to your bank per your payout schedule (usually daily or weekly).
Payment Methods
Guests can pay with credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. All cards are processed through Stripe's secure infrastructure.
Test Mode vs Live Mode
During setup, you can test bookings using Stripe's test mode. Test card:4242 4242 4242 4242. Switch to live mode when you're ready to accept real payments.
Best Practices
Follow these tips to provide excellent guest experiences and minimize issues.
Operational Excellence
- Check your dashboard daily for new bookings
- Respond to modification requests within 24 hours
- Mark no-shows promptly for accurate records
- Export weekly reports for accounting
Guest Experience
- Keep confirmation emails clear and informative
- Be flexible with modifications when possible
- Process refunds quickly when required
- Follow up on negative reviews constructively
Reduce Cancellations
- Set clear expectations in experience descriptions
- Display cancellation policy before booking
- Send helpful reminders with all needed info
- Offer modifications instead of cancellations
Dispute Prevention
- Always honor your stated cancellation policy
- Document any issues or guest complaints
- Respond to chargebacks with documentation
- Consider partial refunds for unhappy guests
Related Documentation
Learn more about related features to optimize your booking operations.
Need Help with a Booking Issue?
Our support team can help resolve disputes, process unusual refunds, or answer questions about booking management.
Contact Support