Calendar transaction settings are configured when you create your Listing type. The transaction settings determine the steps and stages of how a transaction happens between a customer, provider, and your marketplace. This includes steps like payments, payouts, reviews, refunds, and messaging.
This article details how a Calendar booking transaction unfolds.
Booking a listing as a customer
Customers initiate bookings from the listing page.. Customers select their preferred start time and end time from a calendar. They can select the number of seats they want to book, if multiple seats are available (1). The price is calculated and shown. The customer’s price calculation includes booking length, customer commission, and number of seats (2). Pressing the call to action button moves the customer to the checkout page (3).
On the checkout page, the customer is presented with their booking summary. They can choose an existing payment card or add a new payment card (4). They can send a message (5). When they press the call to action button to confirm the booking request, the request is created and a charge is placed on their card (6).
The customer is moved to the order page, where their request is confirmed.
The customer can see their booking details and they have the option to send further messages (7). As the transaction continues, the order page will update with the latest information. They can access this page from their Inbox anytime.
After the booking completes, the customer can leave a review (8). Their review is published when the provider completes their review or after the provider’s review period expires. Customers and providers have up to 7 days from booking completion to leave a review.
You can see screenshots of the different steps below.
Customer initiating a booking from the listing page:
Customer completing the booking request on the checkout page:
Customer booking confirmed on the order page:
Customer leaving a review on the order page:
Accepting and completing the booking as the provider
Once a booking request is made, the provider must accept or reject the customer’s booking request. If they reject the request, the customer is notified and the charge on their card is cancelled. If the provider doesn't respond within six days or one day before the start of the requested booking period, then the booking request expires automatically.
When a provider receives a booking, they will get an email notification and see a red notification on their marketplace interface near the Inbox button (1). Within the inbox, they have the option of seeing all the bookings and booking requests in the provider inbox.They can access the newest request by clicking on it (2).
On the order page, the provider can see information about the booking request, including the customer making the request. They can also see their earnings breakdown and any provider commission fee charged by the marketplace (3). They can send a message to the customer (4). They can accept or reject the request (5).
The provider’s order page is updated with the latest information as the transaction continues (6).
After the booking completes, the provider can leave a review of the customer. Their review is published when the customer completes their review or after the customer’s review period expires. Customers and providers have up to 7 days from booking completion to leave a review (7).
You can see the screenshots of these steps below.
Provider view of new booking request in the Inbox:
Provider accepts or declines booking request from order page:
Provider informed the booking is completed on order page:
Provider can leave a review from the order page:
Operator actions
Operators can intervene during a transaction at key points when the transaction is in the appropriate state. Operator actions are taken in the Transaction tab in Console.
In the default booking transaction process, operators have four available actions: accepting a booking request on behalf of the provider, declining a request on behalf of the provider, marking a booking completed on behalf of the customer, or canceling the booking on behalf of the customer or provider.
These options are only available when the transaction is in a suitable state. You can accept or decline the request on behalf of the provider after the customer has made a booking request, and before that request has expired (1).
You can mark a booking completed or cancel it only if a booking is accepted and before the booking period has ended. If you cancel an accepted booking, the customer is refunded the full booking amount (2).
Whenever you move the transaction forward, you can see confirmation that the operation was successful from the timeline and activity logs (3).
You can see screenshots of these steps below:
Operator can accept or decline booking requests on behalf of providers:
Operators can mark a booking complete or cancel the booking after it has been accepted:
Operator view of transaction activity, including message contents:
How do payments and payouts happen in Stripe
Calendar booking transactions include online payments and payouts via Stripe. Events in the calendar booking transaction trigger Stripe to perform different payment-related actions.
Making a booking request and charging the credit card
A charge is placed on the customer’s card when they submit the booking request. The charge can be held for up to 6 days before the request expires and the booking request is automatically cancelled. If the provider or operator cancels the request, the charge is cancelled.
Accepting the booking request, charging the card, and earning a commission
If the provider or operator accepts the request, the charge is captured and money moved to the platform’s Stripe account. The platform’s commission fee is transferred to the platform account and available for use. The remaining balance (the provider’s earnings) are held for payout.
Holding provider earnings before payout
The provider’s earnings are held in your platform Stripe account until they are paid out or refunded. Though rules vary by country, funds can typically be held for up to 90 days in your Stripe platform account.
Marking a transaction completed and paying out providers
Providers are paid out their fund when the transaction is marked completed. A transaction can be marked completed in multiple different ways. Customers can mark a transaction completed from their Inbox. Operators can mark a transaction completed from Console. Or, the system will automatically mark a transaction completed 48 hours after the booking period ends. When a transaction is marked completed, your marketplace initiates a payout in Stripe to the provider’s bank account.
Cancelling and refunds
Transactions can be cancelled by the operator from Console. Cancelling a transaction initiates a full refund to the customer. Transactions can only be cancelled after the booking has been accepted, but before it has been marked completed
Transaction email notifications
Email notifications are sent to the customer and provider as the transaction steps unfold. Your marketplace sends these notifications automatically. It uses a default template and texts, which you can edit using the Email texts editor. It is not possible without coding to add or remove the default transaction email notifications.
Test the transaction
You can see how Calendar booking transactions work by testing in your marketplace. Follow the testing tutorial to learn how to create your test user, listing, and transaction to learn more about how your marketplace works.