How Activity Businesses Actually Get Paid
How Activity Businesses Actually Get Paid
Business Tips
If you run a surfing school, a cooking class, or a safari company, you already know payments never quite fit the business. Guests message you on WhatsApp, book through your website, or walk in on the day. Some want to pay a deposit, others want to pay when they arrive, and some show up with a different currency and no internet connection. Activity businesses are taking money for something that happens later, often at a specific time, with limited spots. You might have to manage deposits, cancellations, group discounts, and last-minute reschedules, sometimes all on the same day.
The practical fixes
A few simple systems make it much easier to get paid and stay organised.
1. Make it easy for guests to pay when they book.
The best way to avoid no-shows is to collect payment when people book. You can add your activities to your website and let your customer’s pay directly. Tab’s Checkout Flow is built for this - you can add your tours, start times, and pricing options to a simple widget and take card or local payments right there. Guests can book and pay in a few clicks, and you get clear confirmations without chasing transfers or messages.
2. Use payment links for everything else.
Even with a good online booking system, many bookings still come in through WhatsApp, email, or social media. Sending a payment link is the easiest way to handle those. You can send one for a deposit or full payment, and the guest pays instantly in their currency. Tab’s payment links are useful here too — they work anywhere, and each payment appears in your dashboard automatically.
3. Keep times and availability consistent.
Most activity operators lose money because they overbook or double-book. Having your payment system linked to your schedule fixes that. When guests book through Tab Checkout Flow, the start times and group sizes are limited to the availability that you set, so you don’t sell more spots than you have.
4. Offer international payment options
If you only take local payments, you’ll lose international travellers. Tools like Tab support card payments from international guests, all settled to your local account. Guests can pay how they prefer, and you don’t have to manage multiple systems.
5. Stay clear on refunds and reschedules.
Cancellations are part of running activities. What matters is how predictable they are. Use a system that lets you refund in one click and keeps the records clear. If your pricing changes by season or by time slot, make sure that’s reflected in your checkout so you’re not updating it manually.
When it all works
When your online booking system and other payment options are set up properly, everything gets simpler. Guests can see your tours, pick a time, pay online, and show up ready to go. Your staff don’t need to chase deposits or check transfers. Payments appear in your system automatically.
A typical setup looks like this:
A website or landing page connected to Tab’s Checkout Flow for direct online payments
Payment links for manual or WhatsApp bookings
That’s enough to stop most of the daily payment chaos
Why this matters
Most activity operators don’t have a finance team or a tech department. They have a few people who do everything. The right setup means guests can pay easily, staff spend less time chasing money, and you can focus on running the experience itself.
