By alphacardprocess July 24, 2025
Setting up recurring or scheduled payments for longer-staying guests at your B&B can save you and your guests a significant amount of time and effort. Rather than running after payments weekly or monthly, you can automate the payment process. This keeps your cash flow consistent, saves you administration time, and provides your guests with a hassle-free payment experience throughout their stay.
What Are the Main Ways to Accept Recurring Payments?
ACH payments
This method moves money straight from your guest’s bank account to yours through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network. It’s great for bigger amounts because the fees are usually lower than those of credit cards. It might take a bit more setup, as you’ll need to verify customer details.
Recurring invoices
Here, you bill your customers or guests on a predetermined basis, such as monthly or weekly. They pay with their card, online banking, or some other method. This provides them with more control, but it’s not entirely automated — it needs some manual action to process everything.
Credit or debit card payments
In this, you only need to add your guest’s card information once, and you can charge them at set intervals, such as weekly or monthly. This is convenient because it’s done automatically, although the charges may be slightly higher than those for ACH payments
Things You Need to Start Accepting Recurring Payments at Your Bed and Breakfast
To accept recurring or scheduled payments for longer stays at your bed and breakfast, you require two essential components: billing logic and payment processing. Billing logic determines the charges for your guests at each interval, including how to handle discounts, fluctuations in room rates, complimentary nights, or specific seasonal promotions. Payment processing is the process by which your guest’s card or alternative payment method is charged to transfer funds to your business account.
A payment gateway is necessary since it securely transfers money from your guest’s wallet or bank to yours, without exposing sensitive information. When choosing one, consider whether it accommodates the billing method you require, the speed, and whether it allows your guests to pay directly on your website without redirecting them to third-party pages. Also, ensure it supports various currencies or payment types, which becomes beneficial if you receive international visitors.
To make it even more convenient for guests, it’s a good idea to accept multiple payment options, such as debit and credit cards, digital wallets like Google Pay or Amazon Pay, as well as direct bank transfers or ACH payments. This allows guests to very easily select the most convenient option for them.
How to Set Up Recurring Payments for Longer Stays at Your B&B
Step 1: Know What Your Guests Need
Consider how your guests typically pay. Would they prefer to pay weekly or monthly? Provide flexible options to allow guests to easily select the most convenient option. Additionally, ensure that you can accept cards, mobile wallets, or bank deposits.
Step 2: Select a Payment Gateway
A payment gateway is a method for securely processing payments. Choose one that supports recurring payments, secures data, and integrates very easily with your website or reservation system. Reputable choices, such as Stripe and PayPal, among others, are very reliable and simple to implement.
Step 3: Configure Automatic Billing
After you select your payment gateway, implement automatic billing. Decide how often you will charge, the amount, and whether or not to send reminders. It’s nice to send a brief message before each payment and inform guests when a payment is made or if there’s an issue.
Step 4: Make It secure
Guests entrust their sensitive payment information to you, so choosing a gateway that safeguards it is a crucial step. Ensure it complies with security standards, such as PCI DSS, employs encryption, and implements fraud detection checks.
Step 5: Test It Out
Before you go live, make a few test payments. Verify that the payments process, emails, or texts are sent, declined payments are processed correctly, and that everything is running smoothly without any errors.
Step 6: Adhere to the Rules
Depending on where your guests are coming from, there may be specific regulations, such as GDPR in Europe. Ensure you comply with these regulations and keep customer information private and secure to avoid any unexpected legal issues.
Step 7: Monitor Things
After your system goes live, monitor its performance. Be aware of declined payments or visitors canceling before booking. If necessary, adjust payment plans, offer alternative payment methods, or refine reminders to ensure a seamless experience.
Advantages of Automatic Recurring Payments
Automatic recurring payments offer businesses numerous valuable advantages. First, they make cash flow more predictable and stable, making it easier to budget and decide where and how much to spend or invest. Paying automatically also saves time because you don’t have to issue invoices every time a guest makes payments or track down late payments.
This saves time, enabling your staff to better assist customers and provide a more positive experience. Since payments are made automatically, it reduces the chances of late or missed payments and ensures you continue to receive your revenue on schedule. This keeps your business in top shape with streamlined cash flow.
Types of Recurring Payments Model for a Bed and Breakfast
When establishing recurring or scheduled payments for a bed and breakfast, you can take advantage of a few payment structures depending on what works best for your business.
Fixed payments allow guests to pay a set amount every time, such as a guest who visits monthly and makes a fixed payment of $200 per visit. This makes billing straightforward and predictable for both you and the guest.
Variable payments enable the charges to be adjusted according to the guest’s usage. Under this, there’s metered billing, where you can charge more if a visitor uses extra facilities such as laundry or special meals while staying there.
Then there’s quantity-based billing, where your guests pay for something that has been agreed on beforehand, such as taking three rooms for the month at a fixed rate per room.
Hybrid billing combines both. Your bed and breakfast, for instance, might charge a fixed monthly fee for frequent visits but charge an additional fee if the visitor books extra nights, special services, or late checkouts beyond the agreed-upon time.
How Recurring Payments Work
Firstly, the guests provide their payment information to you, such as a bank account or credit card, and consent to you to charge them later, depending on their selected package. Your payment provider keeps this information safe. They use tools like encryption to ensure sensitive data remains protected and meets standards such as PCI DSS.
On the agreed-upon schedule — possibly weekly, monthly, or seasonally — your system automatically charges the guest’s saved payment method. The payment provider checks that everything is correct, then moves the money into your account.
As soon as the payment is successful, guests receive a confirmation email with the amount, date, and details. You can also remind guests in advance of future payments or if there’s an issue, such as an expired card.
Guests also must be able to update their payment information or modify their booking plan at any time. This ensures that their information is current, prevents declined payments, and makes them feel secure during their stay.
Best Practices for Using Recurring Payments at a Bed and Breakfast
If you are considering adopting recurring payments for your bed and breakfast visitors, the following are a few simple tips to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Ensure transparency about the billing structure so visitors understand what to expect when they are charged. Always obtain their consent before initiating automatic payments.
Keep their payment information current to avoid declined charges, and offer flexible options such as monthly, seasonal, or tailored plans, allowing clients to select the option that best suits their needs.
Ensure that you use a reputable payment gateway with effective fraud protection to secure sensitive information.
Remain in contact with clients via payment reminders, special promotions, or any changes to keep them updated.
How to Choose the Right Recurring Billing Solution
Selecting the right recurring billing solution ultimately depends on what your business needs most. You may need to process various types of payments, such as one-time fees, subscriptions, or usage fees within the same plan, or you might need to provide some clients with extended trial periods when revising your rates.
It’s also a good idea to seek out functionality such as customizable checkout pages to simplify signups, and a customer self-service portal where individuals can change payment information or switch plans on their own. A billing solution that integrates well with your accounting software keeps your finances well organized and makes tax preparation easy, especially if you sell internationally.
A dashboard with readable reports enables your team to monitor business status and identify trends. Pre-built payment reminders emails inform customers of upcoming payments or plan changes, and robust security, such as PCI-DSS Level 1 compliance, safeguards sensitive information.
Last but not least, well-documented developer-friendly APIs can save time and headaches when integrating any custom software with the billing platform. All of these features combined enable your business to operate efficiently, keep your customers happy, and make it simple to expand in the future.
Cost of Setting up and Maintaining Recurring Payments
The price of establishing and maintaining recurring payments typically depends on how your customers pay. For instance, Square charges a fee of 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction for online subscription payments. So, if your monthly subscription rate is $50, Square would get around $1.75, and you’d be left with about $48.25.
If you send an invoice to your customers, the processing charge increases slightly to 3.3% plus 30 cents on each card transaction, so you’d be left with approximately $48.05. However, if your customer pays the invoice via ACH bank transfer, the fee is reduced to 1% per transaction, with a minimum of $1. So you’d only get $1 on a $50 payment and retain $49.
How to Operate a Successful Bed and Breakfast
Operating a good bed and breakfast is all about getting the fundamentals correct. Begin by ensuring your guests sleep comfortably. A comfortable bed is essential since no one wants their holiday spoiled by a poor mattress. A firm bed with a soft duvet typically meets the needs of most people.
Consider the bathroom as well. More than half of your guests will want their bathroom, even if it’s just a private one outside their room.
A shower is usually preferred over a bath by most people, so consider what your guests would like before making a decision. Additionally, always check that there’s plenty of hot water so everyone can enjoy their stay in comfort. Whenever a visitor checks out, thoroughly clean the room so that it remains fresh and inviting for the next visitor.
Serving a good breakfast can also make a huge difference. Some visitors prefer a large cooked breakfast, while others may want something lighter or follow a particular diet. Attempt to provide alternatives so all can appreciate their meal.
Excellent customer service is the most important thing. Guests stay at a B&B because they enjoy the warm, homey atmosphere. Always be hospitable, assist when requested, and attempt to resolve issues promptly. Remember, little things make a big difference.
Don’t forget to comply with the legal and safety requirements for property, such as fire precautions, food handling and hygiene, and insurance. It keeps everyone safe and makes the guests feel secure.
Today, good WiFI and sufficient plug points are nearly as essential as a comfortable bed, particularly for business travelers who need to post photos online or guests who wish to show friends what they are doing.
Your location can also be a great benefit. If you are in a remote area with limited dining options, consider providing evening meals or snacks so visitors don’t have to go elsewhere. Listen to your guests’ comments at all times. It shows you what is right and what needs improvement. If you hear the same recommendation from numerous visitors, then it’s time to take action.
Conclusion
Adding recurring or scheduled payments to your bed and breakfast isn’t just about conserving time — it’s about providing customers with an affordable and convenient way to pay, and keeping your business running smoothly. With the right tools and planning, you can make payments hassle-free for everyone. Begin today and make things easier for both you and your customers.
FAQs
What are recurring payments for a B&B?
Recurring payments enable you to automatically charge guests on a weekly or monthly basis for extended stays, saving time and preventing missed payments.
Can I make recurring payments for short stays?
They’re ideal for long-term or repeat guests, but you can still arrange scheduled payments for short stays if your system allows.
What payment options are available for recurring payments?
You can accept credit or debit cards, ACH, or digital wallets, based on what your payment processor allows.
Is it safe to keep guest payment information?
Yes, if you are using a PCI DSS-approved payment gateway that encrypts and secures sensitive payment information.
Are guests alerted for each payment?
Most systems send automated emails or texts to confirm charges, keeping guests informed and preventing confusion.