How to Take Payments at Your Tourism Business Online
Payments
"Tab helps me take deposits for bookings and keeps you safe in the case of cancelation."
Ansta Farmhouse Hotel and Camping
Namibia
In the competitive world of tourism, providing a seamless payment experience for your customers is crucial. Whether you're a tour operator, an accommodation service or you provide activities, knowing how to take payments online can improve customer satisfaction and streamline your operations. This guide will walk you through the steps to effectively manage online payments for your tourism business.
Understanding Online Payment Systems
While lots of tourism payments will still be in person, online payment systems can provide reassurance by letting you take deposits from customers in advance. These systems can vary in what they let you do; some things to consider are:
Online integrations: These are services that integrate with a booking platform on your website. Popular options include PayPal, Stripe, and Square, but you’ll need a separate booking platform. Tab offers a website integration as a free service with their standard payments account. You can find out more here.
Payment links: Some services allow you to create payment links to send to your customers. This is great if you have non-standard pricing, or if you need to speak to customers before you can confirm pricing.
Processing virtual cards: If you receive virtual cards from OTA platforms like Booking.com or Expedia, you’ll want to check that your payment system can process these payments. These types of payments are more common for accommodation businesses.
Choosing the Right Payment Provider
Selecting the right payment provider is vital for your business’s success. Consider the following factors:
Transaction Fees: Different processors have varying fee structures. For most tourism businesses, your biggest fee variable will be the cost of processing payments in different currencies. Make sure you’re getting fee quotes for a range of currencies - not just USD and EUR, which are two of the cheapest!
Customer Fees: Your customers will usually be charged international payment fees by their bank if your payment provider just processes their payment as normal, so you want to familiarise yourself with how your payment provider will charge your customers. We have an article here with more detail on how this works and what you can do to prevent it.
Process: Ensure the payment provider has the services you need to work with your existing processes - whether that’s email, WhatsApp, or your website.
Security Features: Look for processors that offer robust payment security and make sure you’re able to get in touch with their customer services easily if you or your customers have any questions.
Conclusion
Taking payments online is a critical aspect of running a successful tourism business. By understanding online payment systems, choosing the right processor, and implementing best practices, you can provide a seamless payment experience for your customers.
Ready to take payments online?
For an all-in-one solution to manage payments in your tourism business, consider using Tab. Tab simplifies the payment process, offering secure transactions and native features such as Advance Booking payment links, Virtual Card charging and a website widget, ensuring you can focus on what you do best - providing unforgettable travel experiences.
