Payment Settings
Set up deposit payments for your bookings using Stripe or PayPal. Require deposits to secure reservations and reduce no-shows.
Accessing Payment Settings
Section titled “Accessing Payment Settings”- Log in to your BeSeat account
- Navigate to Settings → Payment
- Configure your payment gateway and deposit settings
- Click Save Payment Settings to save your configuration
Note: Only account owners and administrators can access payment settings. Staff members do not have permission to view or modify these settings.
Enabling Deposit Payments
Section titled “Enabling Deposit Payments”Require Deposit
Section titled “Require Deposit”Toggle this option to enable or disable deposit payments for bookings.
- Enabled: Customers must pay a deposit when making a booking
- Disabled: No deposit required (bookings are free)
- Default: Disabled
When enabled, additional configuration options will appear below.
Deposit Configuration
Section titled “Deposit Configuration”Payment Gateway
Section titled “Payment Gateway”Choose which payment processor to use for deposits:
- Stripe: Credit and debit card payments
- PayPal: PayPal account payments
You can only use one payment gateway at a time. Choose based on your preferences and customer base.
Deposit Type
Section titled “Deposit Type”How the deposit amount is calculated:
- Per Reservation: Fixed deposit amount per booking (e.g., £10 per booking)
- Per Guest: Deposit amount multiplied by number of guests (e.g., £5 per guest, so 4 guests = £20)
Example:
- Per Reservation: £10 deposit regardless of party size
- Per Guest: £5 per guest, so 2 guests = £10, 4 guests = £20
Minimum Party Size for Deposit
Section titled “Minimum Party Size for Deposit”Only require deposits for bookings with this many guests or more.
- Default: 0 (deposits required for all bookings)
- Use Case: Only require deposits for larger parties
- Example: Set to 5 to only require deposits for parties of 5 or more
Deposit Amount
Section titled “Deposit Amount”The amount customers must pay as a deposit.
- Per Reservation: Fixed amount (e.g., 10.00)
- Per Guest: Amount per person (e.g., 5.00 per guest)
- Minimum: 0.00
- Format: Use decimal format (e.g., 10.50 for £10.50)
Currency
Section titled “Currency”Select the currency for deposits.
- Default: GBP (£)
- Available: Multiple currencies supported
- Format: Currency code (e.g., GBP, USD, EUR)
The currency symbol will be automatically set based on your selection.
Currency Symbol
Section titled “Currency Symbol”The symbol displayed with deposit amounts (automatically set based on currency selection).
- GBP: £
- USD: $
- EUR: €
Stripe Configuration
Section titled “Stripe Configuration”If you selected Stripe as your payment gateway, you’ll need to provide:
Stripe Public Key
Section titled “Stripe Public Key”Your Stripe publishable key for accepting payments.
- Where to Find:
- Log in to your Stripe account
- Navigate to your account settings
- Find and copy your “Publishable key”
Stripe Secret Key
Section titled “Stripe Secret Key”Your Stripe secret key for processing payments.
- Where to Find:
- Log in to your Stripe account
- Navigate to your account settings
- Find and copy your “Secret key”
- Security: Keep this key secret - never share it publicly
Important: Use test credentials for testing. Switch to live credentials only when you’re ready to accept real payments.
PayPal Configuration
Section titled “PayPal Configuration”If you selected PayPal as your payment gateway, you’ll need to provide:
PayPal Client ID
Section titled “PayPal Client ID”Your PayPal application client ID for accepting payments.
- Where to Find:
- Log in to your PayPal account
- Navigate to your developer settings
- Find your application and copy the “Client ID”
PayPal Secret
Section titled “PayPal Secret”Your PayPal application secret for processing payments.
- Where to Find:
- Log in to your PayPal account
- Navigate to your developer settings
- Find your application and copy the “Secret”
- Security: Keep this secret - never share it publicly
Important: Use test credentials for testing. Switch to live credentials only when you’re ready to accept real payments.
Saving Your Settings
Section titled “Saving Your Settings”- After configuring all payment settings, click Save Payment Settings
- You’ll see a success message confirming your settings have been saved
- Payment settings take effect immediately for new bookings
Note: If you haven’t made any changes, you’ll see an info message indicating there are no changes to save.
How Deposit Payments Work
Section titled “How Deposit Payments Work”Once configured:
- Customer Makes Booking: When a customer books through your widget, they’ll see the deposit amount
- Payment Required: Customer must pay the deposit to complete the booking
- Booking Confirmed: Once payment is successful, the booking is confirmed
- Payment Processed: Deposit is processed through your selected payment gateway (Stripe or PayPal)
Best Practices
Section titled “Best Practices”Security
Section titled “Security”- Never Share Credentials: Keep your payment provider credentials secure
- Use Test Mode: Test with test credentials before going live
- Switch to Live: Only use live credentials when ready to accept real payments
Deposit Amounts
Section titled “Deposit Amounts”- Reasonable Amounts: Set deposit amounts that are meaningful but not excessive
- Consider Your Business: Higher-value services might warrant higher deposits
- Reduce No-Shows: Deposits help reduce no-shows by requiring commitment
Payment Gateway Selection
Section titled “Payment Gateway Selection”- Stripe: Better for credit/debit card payments, widely accepted
- PayPal: Good for customers who prefer PayPal, popular in many regions
- Customer Base: Consider which payment method your customers prefer
Common Scenarios
Section titled “Common Scenarios”Restaurant with £10 Deposit
Section titled “Restaurant with £10 Deposit”- Require Deposit: Enabled
- Payment Gateway: Stripe or PayPal
- Deposit Type: Per Reservation
- Deposit Amount: 10.00
- Currency: GBP
- Minimum Party Size: 0 (all bookings)
Salon with £5 Per Guest
Section titled “Salon with £5 Per Guest”- Require Deposit: Enabled
- Payment Gateway: Stripe
- Deposit Type: Per Guest
- Deposit Amount: 5.00
- Currency: GBP
- Minimum Party Size: 0 (all bookings)
Large Parties Only
Section titled “Large Parties Only”- Require Deposit: Enabled
- Payment Gateway: Stripe
- Deposit Type: Per Reservation
- Deposit Amount: 20.00
- Currency: GBP
- Minimum Party Size: 6 (only parties of 6+ require deposit)
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”Payment Not Processing
Section titled “Payment Not Processing”If payments aren’t processing:
- Verify your payment provider credentials are correct
- Check that you’re using the correct account type (test vs. live)
- Ensure your payment provider account is active
- Test with a small amount first
Wrong Currency Display
Section titled “Wrong Currency Display”If currency isn’t displaying correctly:
- Verify your currency selection matches your business location
- Check that the currency symbol is correct
- Ensure your payment gateway supports the selected currency
Deposits Not Required
Section titled “Deposits Not Required”If deposits aren’t being required:
- Verify “Require Deposit” is enabled
- Check that deposit amount is greater than 0
- Ensure minimum party size setting allows deposits for the booking size
- Test with a new booking to see if deposits appear
Invalid Credential Errors
Section titled “Invalid Credential Errors”If you see invalid credential errors:
- Verify you copied the entire credential without extra spaces
- Check that you’re using the correct credential type
- Ensure credentials are from the correct account (test vs. live)
- Try copying the credentials again from your payment provider account
Related Settings
Section titled “Related Settings”- Booking Settings - Configure booking rules and guest limits
- Account Settings - Update your company information
- Widget Settings - Customize your booking widget