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rendevo

Payment Collection & Invoicing

Secure your bookings and reduce no-shows by collecting payment when customers book. This guide covers setup, the payment journey, invoice management, and handling exceptions.

Why Collect Payment?

Payment collection transforms your booking process:

  • 📉 80% Fewer No-Shows: Customers who pay are committed
  • 💰 Secured Revenue: Money in your account before the appointment
  • ⏰ Automatic Slot Release: Unpaid bookings expire and free up space
  • 📊 Better Planning: Know actual attendance, not just bookings
  • 🔄 Reduced Admin: Less chasing, fewer reschedules

💡 Tip: Requiring payment significantly reduces no-shows.

Prerequisites

Before enabling payment collection:

1. Stripe Account

What you need:

  • Business bank account for receiving payments
  • Basic business information (name, address, tax ID)
  • Valid email address

Supported countries: Most countries where Stripe operates. Check Stripe's country list for availability.

2. Subscription Plan

Payment collection is available on:

  • Solo - Basic payment collection
  • Growth - Full features + team payouts
  • Business - All features + advanced reporting

Setting Up Payment Collection

Step 1: Connect Stripe

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations
  2. Find the Stripe card
  3. Click Connect with Stripe
  4. You'll be redirected to Stripe's onboarding
  5. Complete the form:
    • Business type (individual, company, etc.)
    • Business details
    • Bank account information
    • Identity verification (may require ID upload)
  6. Return to rendevo after completion
  7. Verify connection shows as "Connected"

⚠️ Important: Complete all Stripe verification steps. Incomplete accounts may have payout delays.

Step 2: Enable on Services

For each service where you want payment:

  1. Go to Services
  2. Click to edit a service
  3. Find Payment Settings section
  4. Toggle Require Payment Collection ON
  5. Configure Invoice Expiry (how long customer has to pay):
    • 15 minutes: High-demand sessions, impulse bookings
    • 30 minutes: Standard for most services
    • 60 minutes: Recommended default
    • 24 hours: Expensive services, corporate bookings
  6. Click Save

ℹ️ Note: You can enable payment on some services and not others. A free consultation might not require payment, while a paid workshop does.

The Payment Journey

Here's what happens when a customer books a payable service:

1. Booking Created

  • Customer completes booking form
  • Appointment created with status: Pending Payment
  • Invoice generated automatically
  • Slot held temporarily (based on expiry setting)

2. Invoice Sent

  • Customer receives email with:
    • Booking details
    • Payment amount
    • Secure payment link
    • Expiry time
  • They can pay immediately or within the expiry window

3. Payment Processing

If customer pays:

  • Payment processed securely via Stripe
  • Booking status changes to: Paid
  • Confirmation email sent to customer
  • You receive notification of confirmed booking

If customer doesn't pay:

  • Invoice expires after set time
  • Booking status changes to: Expired
  • Slot automatically released
  • Customer can rebook if they wish

4. Post-Payment

  • Funds appear in your Stripe account
  • Payout to your bank per your Stripe settings (usually 2-7 days)
  • Transaction appears in your Financials page

Payment Status Icons

In your Calendar and booking lists, these icons indicate payment status:

Icon Status Meaning
💳 Not Required Service doesn't require payment
⏳ Pending Invoice sent, awaiting payment
✅ Paid Payment received and confirmed
❌ Failed Payment attempted but declined
⏱️ Expired Invoice expired, slot released
↩️ Refunded Payment was refunded

Managing Invoices

Viewing Invoice Details

  1. Open any appointment in Calendar
  2. Click on the payment status badge
  3. See invoice details:
    • Amount due
    • Status
    • Time remaining (if pending)
    • Payment link

Invoice Actions

Resend Invoice

  • Customer didn't receive or lost email
  • Click Send Invoice to resend payment link
  • Same link, timer continues from original

Mark as Paid

  • Customer paid via cash, bank transfer, or other method
  • Click Mark as Paid to confirm manually
  • Status changes to Paid immediately
  • Use for: Cash payments, bank transfers, external payment apps

Skip Payment

  • Waive payment requirement for this booking
  • Click Skip Payment
  • Status changes to Paid (no amount collected)
  • Use for: VIPs, comps, promotional offers, employee bookings

⚠️ Important: Manually marked payments don't create Stripe transactions. Track these separately for accounting.

Processing Refunds

When to Refund

  • Customer cancels within your refund policy
  • Service couldn't be delivered (staff sick, weather, etc.)
  • Customer complaint resolution
  • Duplicate payment

How to Refund

  1. Open the paid appointment
  2. Click on payment status
  3. Click Refund
  4. Choose amount:
    • Full refund: Returns entire payment
    • Partial refund: Specify amount (for deposits, cancellation fees)
  5. Confirm refund
  6. Customer receives funds (timing depends on their bank, typically 5-10 days)

ℹ️ Note: Stripe transaction fees are not refunded when you refund a payment. A €50 payment might cost €1.50 in fees, and you'll only recover €48.50 after a full refund.

Refund for Experiences

For group bookings:

  • Refund releases spots back to availability
  • Other waitlisted customers can book
  • Consider the impact on minimum capacity

AI Agent Integration

When AI Agent books appointments:

Payment-Required Services

  1. AI completes the booking conversation
  2. Creates appointment with Pending Payment status
  3. Tells customer: "You'll receive a payment link to confirm your booking"
  4. Invoice email sent automatically
  5. Normal payment flow continues

Customer Questions

The AI can answer:

  • "How much does it cost?" - Quotes service price
  • "Do I need to pay now?" - Explains payment requirement
  • "What payment methods do you accept?" - Lists Stripe-supported methods

Common Questions

Q: What payment methods can customers use? A: All methods supported by Stripe in their country: credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and local methods like iDEAL, Bancontact, etc.

Q: What if the customer's payment fails? A: They can try again with a different card. The invoice link remains valid until expiry. You'll see "Failed" status if they attempted payment.

Q: Can I extend an expired invoice? A: No, but you can create a new booking for the customer (if the slot is still available).

Q: What happens to the slot during the payment window? A: It's held (blocked from other bookings) until payment is received or the invoice expires.

Q: Can I offer payment plans? A: Currently, rendevo supports full payment at booking time. Payment plans and partial payments are not supported.

Q: How do I handle cash payments at the door? A: Either disable payment collection for that service, or use "Mark as Paid" when customer arrives and pays.

Q: Do manual bookings I create require payment? A: When you create a manual booking for a payable service, you're asked: Send Invoice, Mark as Paid, or Skip Payment.

Troubleshooting

"Customer didn't receive invoice email"

  1. Check spam/junk folder
  2. Verify email address is correct
  3. Resend invoice using the Send Invoice action
  4. If persistent, have customer check email provider settings

"Payment failed"

Customer should:

  1. Check card details are correct
  2. Ensure sufficient funds
  3. Try a different card
  4. Contact their bank if card is being blocked
  5. Try a different payment method (Apple Pay, etc.)

"Invoice expired but customer wants to pay"

  1. The original slot may have been taken
  2. Check Calendar for availability
  3. If available, create a new booking for the customer
  4. Invoice will be sent for the new booking

"Stripe payments not appearing in my bank"

  • Stripe payouts take 2-7 business days (depends on your Stripe settings)
  • Check Stripe Dashboard for payout schedule
  • Verify bank account is connected correctly
  • Ensure Stripe verification is complete

Best Practices

Invoice Expiry Strategy

Service Type Suggested Expiry Reasoning
Walk-in fitness class 15 minutes Quick decisions, high demand
Standard appointment 60 minutes Time to find card, complete payment
Multi-person experience 60-120 minutes May need to coordinate with others
Premium/expensive service 24 hours Larger commitment, more consideration
Corporate booking 24-48 hours May need approval, PO process

Communication

  • Set clear expectations on your booking page about payment requirements
  • Include refund policy information
  • Respond quickly to payment questions

Cash Handling

  • Decide if you accept cash alongside online payments
  • Train staff on "Mark as Paid" functionality
  • Track cash payments separately for accounting

Related Articles

Payment collection secures your revenue and shows customers you run a professional operation! 💳