Questions and Answers

FAQ

Beds24 is a cost-effective self-service system offering powerful online booking engines for your own website property management and optional channel management.

1 General

1.1 Is my data secure?

We are compliant with the European data security directives (GDPR) which covers securely managing and storing personal data and PCIDSS for card data.

The data center we use is certified to DIN ISO/IEC 27001

We make hourly backups of all data and these are stored securely and remote from our main servers.

All data is transferred using SSL.

We do have a public monitoring system. Even though our service is very reliable there will be occasional short outages due to necessary maintenance. Also we cannot except acts of God.

1.2 Is Beds24 available in my country?

Yes. Beds24 is available worldwide.

2 Bookings

Beds24 shows real-time availability. Bookings can be instant (auto confirmed) or on request (manually confirmed or declined).

2.1 Can bookings be moved between rooms or rentals?

Yes, Bookings can be changed or moved to another room or rental if required.

The Calendar has a drag-and drop function which will allows to quickly change the room or rental assignment. Or open the booking and go to the Summary tab, then change the room/unit and click SAVE.

2.2 Can I (host) cancel bookings?

You can change the status of of direct bookings within Beds24 form the "Summary" tab.

Bookings from channels have to be be cancelled at the channel and modifications/cancellations will then be imported into Beds24. For Booking.com and Expedia you can request the channel to cancel the booking directly from the booking in Beds24.

2.3 Can guests cancel bookings?

Yes, you can provide guests the option to view and cancel direct bookings but not change them. Go to (SETTINGS) GUEST MANAGEMENT > GUEST LOGIN and click HELP for instructions.

If the booking was made a Channel, suggest the guest contacts the Channel to cancel the booking, this ensures that your availability is updated and the dates re-opened.

2.4 Do you support group bookings?

Yes. If your guests book multiple rooms/rentals a group booking is created. You can also manually 'group' the bookings together, you will see the list of 'grouped' bookings when you open any one of the bookings in the Group.

Open the initial booking (Master), go to the Invoice tab and scroll to the bottom, then add the new booking into the 'Add Existing booking to Group'.

2.5 What information is gathered during the booking process?

For direct bookings can set which information you require your guest to enter when they make a booking. You can set optional/mandatory information, additionally you can set Custom Questions (if required).

Go to (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > BOOKING QUESTIONS you can identify the Standard Questions and define any additional questions in Custom Questions.

For channel bookings the channels determine which information is collected. Beds24 will import all information the channels send.

2.6 Can I highlight certain bookings?

Flags can be used to flag bookings that require special attention.

The flag text is displayed with the other booking fields within the control panel and the [FLAG] template variable can be used to display this text as "hovertext" when the mouse cursor is positioned over the flagged booking in the Calendar view.

Flags can also be automatically applied via Auto Action which you can set up in (SETTINGS) GUEST MANAGEMENT > AUTO ACTIONS.

2.7 Can I set a cut off time for bookings?

Yes, you can set a cut-off time for same day bookings, this will be used for same day bookings and will close the inventory at a channel when the time has passed.

Go to (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > BOOKING RULES > SAME DAY BOOKING CUT OFF and select the time required.

3 Booking Engine

3.1 How can I integrated Beds24 with my website?

Beds24 can be integrated into any website. Adding a booking widget to a website requires pasting some html code we provide to the source code. This will work with any system as long as you can access the source code.

3.2 Can I customize the booking page?

The Beds24 booking page is fully customisable. The innovative design of the new responsive version lets you not only change colors but also define which content you want to display where on the form.. You can also customize colors and fonts and you can even apply your own CSS styles.

3.3 How can I create a website connected to my Beds24 account?

With the integration to Rezintel you can create a website with the data you have in Beds24.

Go to here for more details

3.4 Can I use the booking engine with my own domain?

Yes. The Private Label booking page option allows you to use your own domain e.g. bookings.mydomain.com (instead of beds24.com) for an additional fee.

4 Channel Manager

We synchronise with over 60 booking channels and are preferred/premium partner with Booking.com, Airbnb and VRBO/Homeaway Group and Elite partner with Expedia. For a complete list of connected channels please see www.beds24.com/channel-manager.html.

We have a two way API connection with all mayor channels so Beds24.com can export inventory and prices and import bookings and modifications to bookings instantly and for some also send content like descriptions and pictures and can even create accounts with the channels.

You can find details for each connected channel here.

4.1 What is the difference between API/XML Connection and iCal Connection?

API/XML - Beds24 can export inventory and prices and import bookings and modifications to bookings. To some channels we can also send pictures and descriptions.

iCal - Beds24 can export availability and blocked dates, import bookings (summary information), the capabilities of the connection depend on the channel.

You can find details for each connected channel here.

4.2 How does the Channel Manager work?

This page explains in detail how the channel manager works.

4.3 Can I setup different prices for each Channel?

Yes, if required you can set different rates for your own website and booking channel(s). You can set different prices for each Channel, check the Channel Help page for the requirements and options.

4.4 Can I send a surcharge to a Channel?

Yes, you can setup different rates for a Channel and/or you can use a Price Multiplier to change your Rates/Daily Price for a Channel. The price can be increased/decreased. Check the HELP page for the Channel for more information.

5 Currencies

5.1 Can I use multiple currencies in Beds24?

You can set the system to use one master currency.

If you are using multiple properties you can set a different currency for each. If you need to manage bookings in another currency than your default currency you can create an "invoicee" for the additional currency and assign the charges it. For more information on the invoicee function please see Invoicees.

The booking page allows you to use a currency converter. We currently use live data from the openexchangerates.org for currency conversion.

5.2 What if the Booking Channel use a different currency than my currency, can I convert the currency in Beds24?

When you are using booking channels which require a different currency than your standard currency you can add a multiplier to prices to convert to a different currency. Check the channel HELP page for the specific instructions.

5.3 In which currency can I pay for my Beds24 account?

Your account fees are billed in € but you can pay in any mayor currency according to the current exchange rate.

6 Documentation

6.1 Is there documentation in Beds24?

Of course. The start page of the support wiki has links to many common questions: https://wiki.beds24.com/index.php/Main_Page

There is also a search function which can be used to search for other topics.

There are also links to tutorials and videos showing you how to do the set up.

7 Fees

7.1 What are the fees for using Beds24?

With Beds24 you only pay for what you use. There is a basic fee for the use of the system which is based on the number of rooms/rented units set up plus fees for the services which are used.

You can find detailed information and a calculator on our website to calculate the monthly fee for your set up.

7.2 Are there hidden fees or charges?

No. You only pay a monthly fee based on what you use. You can view all fees here.

7.3 Where can I see my fees?

Login in to the system and go to (SETTINGS) ACCOUNT > BILLING

7.4 Are there charges for payment collections?

Beds24 does not charge any fees for payment collection. If you use Beds24 to collect payments from guests you will only pay a fee to the payment provider you use.

7.5 My business is seasonal. How will this work?

We can hibernate your Beds24 account when you don't need it. You will have read-only access but no bookings will import and all automated functions will stop working. While hibernating you only pay a holding fee equal to the monthly basic fee.

8 Facebook

8.1 Does Beds24 support bookings from Facebook?

Yes, for more information see [Facebook_App|here].

9 Forum

9.1 Does Beds24 have a user forum?

Yes. You can access the Forum from your Beds24 control panel, click on SUPPORT and then on the Forum link (top right).

10 Free Trial

10.1 Do I have full access to Beds24 with the Free Trial?

Yes, signing up for the free trial opens a fully functional account.

You may use this account to test all the functionality of the system for free.

10.2 How long is the free trial?

The trial period is 14 days, after this period expires, a payment is required to continue using the account.

10.3 What happens after the free trial is over?

Accounts are automatically converted to regular Beds24 accounts so if you want to continue using Beds24 you will have all your settings. All you need to do is to keep your account balance positive. We accept payments via all common payment methods including credit card, bank transfer, money transfer (any currency), PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay.

11 Guest Login

11.1 Can Guests login to Beds24 to see their bookings?

Yes, you can give guests the option to view and cancel bookings but not change them.

Go to (SETTINGS) GUEST MANAGEMENT -> GUEST LOGIN and click HELP (top right menu)

12 Google Analytics / Tracking

12.1 Can Google Analytics be installed on Beds24?

Yes, you can install Google Analytics on you booking page. See the details in this wiki page:- https://wiki.beds24.com/index.php/Track_Bookings

Beds24 also has a built in logging system which will give you information on the activities on your booking page and where a booking originated from.

13 Help / Support / Training

13.1 What level of support can I expect from Beds24?

Beds24 is designed as a self-service system. Information and free support is available via following channels:

• Beds24 Forum
• Beds24 Wiki with search function, links to videos and tutorials Wiki
• Context sensitive help - click on HELP at the top right of any page for information about the page. A click on the ? icons next to each setting opens context help with information about the setting.
• Setup wizards: https://beds24.com/wizard/index.php?lang=en

They are designed to introduce the system and guide you through the setup process. The wizards open your control panel and booking page in wizard mode. Login with your username and password and follow the steps.

• When you click on the SUPPORT button in the top and then click on 'Functions' you will find links to commonly used functions.
• You can reach out to our support team at any time via our ticket support system. This allows the support team see your settings and support you efficiently.

Our fees do not include telephone support. This way we can offer the best possible price to users who set up Beds24 themselves. For users who prefer phone support we cooperate with partners who offer professional help for a fee.

13.2 Does Beds24 provide training?

We offer regular webinars on how Beds24 works and on specific functions which are also available on demand. Links to the recordings and to tutorials are available here: https://wiki.beds24.com/index.php?title=Main_Page

There are also setup wizards that you can access from this page: https://beds24.com/wizard/index.php?lang=en They are designed to introduce the system and guide you through the setup process. The wizards open your control panel and booking page in wizard mode.

We also offer Zoom or Skype training sessions for a fee in which we help you set your account up.

14 Import Data

14.1 Can I import bookings from the Booking Channels/OTAs?

Yes, once mapped to Beds24, some booking channels provide access to 'Import existing bookings' if your OTA does not provide this option then you can use the CSV API to import existing bookings. Please check the HELP page for the Booking Channel to see the Capabilities.

14.2 Can I import bookings from another system?

If you need to import bookings into Beds24 you can use a csv via our API (https://api.beds24.com). For some channels we can try to import bookings.

15 Integrations

15.1 Do you connect to other services?

Yes. We provide a wide range of integration so you can create seamless workflows. Many services which are not listed here can be connected via Integromat and we also have an open API.

16 Languages

16.1 What languages does Beds24 support?

The backend control panel is available in English and German. We provide partial courtesy translations into French, Greek, Portugese and Spanish to make it easier for staff who do not speak English or German. A Japanese version of Beds24 is available via our partner Co-Reception.

The booking page where guest can make their bookings is available in 38 languages (Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Bulgarian, Burmese, Catalan, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Mongolian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese). If the booking page does not currently support your language we can look into adding it if you help us with the translation.

Hosts can choose to activate one or more languages to give guests the option to book in their own language.

16.2 What languages does Beds24 provide for customer support?

We offer customer support in English and German.

16.3 Is it possible to add languages to the Booking Page?

If the booking page does not currently support your language we can look into adding it if you help us with the translation.

16.4 Can I send messages to the guest in their language?

Yes, go to (SETTINGS) BOOKING ENGINE > INTERNATIONALIZATION and tick the appropriate languages. Then you can enter the message in the specific language where this setting is available. (ie. Confirmation messages, auto emails etc).

16.5 Can I import the language of the guest for bookings from channels?

For direct bookings the language the guest booked in is applied. Normally channels do not send language information, however we can deduce the language of the guest from the country they enter at the time of their booking. Go to (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER and set 'Deduce language from Country' = Yes. The language will show in the Mail tab of the Booking.

Default Language selected in (SETTINGS) BOOKING ENGINE > INTERNATIONALIZATION will be used if the guest language is blank or you do not have a message in the guest language.

17 Messaging and Notifications

17.1 Will I receive a notification when there is a new booking?

Yes. You will automatically receive an Email when you receive a new online booking or a modification for a channel booking. You can additionally opt in to receive an SMS notifications. Email are free, for SMS a fee applies.

17.2 Do guests receive a confirmation?

For direct online bookings guests will always receive a confirmation message which you can fully customize in (SETTINGS) GUEST MANAGEMENT > CONFIRMATION MESSAGES.

Bookings through OTA´s except VRBO/Homeaway will be confirmed directly through the OTA not from Beds24. If you want to you can set up a additional automated Email.

VRBO/Homeaway do not send confirmation messages. They require these to be sent from Beds24. The confirmation message you have set up in (SETTINGS) GUEST MANAGEMENT > CONFIRMATION MESSAGES will be sent to the guest.

17.3 Can I send automated and/or manual Emails?

You can set up template Emails to manually or auto send to guest e.g. x days before arrival/departure, based on origin of the booking etc. Go to (SETTINGS) GUEST MANAGEMENT -> AUTO ACTIONS and click HELP (top right menu) for instructions and examples.

You can export all bookings and process the data e.g. add to your mailing lists.

17.4 Does Beds24 have messaging integrations with Channels?

With Airbnb and Booking.com we have direct integrations with their messaging systems so you can communicate with the guest directly from the booking through the channel's messaging system.

18 How can I change my Email address?

You can change your Administrator Email Address by going to (SETTINGS) ACCOUNT - > ACCOUNT ACCESS.

You can change your Property Email Address by going to Property Email Address in ( (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > DESCRIPTION "Email".

18.1 Can I send newsletters or bulk emails to all guests?

We have an integration with MailChimp through which guests will be automatically added to mailing lists. Go to (SETTINGS) APPS & INTEGRATIONS-> MAILCHIMP and click HELP (top right menu) for instructions.

Guest information and contact details can also be downloaded to be imported into external mailing lists.

19 Mobile

19.1 Do you provide an App?

We are currently working on an app which will be available soon.

But by nature the functionality of an app is limited. User research shows that an app can not meet the flexibility and the the power Beds24 customers are used to. Therefore our control panel is responsive and accessible via a browser from any mobile device. We provide mobile dashboard which links to more special mobile pages and access to all other Beds24 functions.

This allows you to perform all actions from your smart phone or tablet it you need to.

The booking page is mobile friendly. It detects which device the guest uses and adjusts the view accordingly.

20 Multiple Properties / Agency Functions

20.1 Can I manage multiple properties in one Beds24 account?

With Beds24 you can manage multiple properties in one account. You have the option to create sub accounts with individual logins for each property. The sub accounts can have their own login with full access (read and write) or limited access (read only).

The agency search page allows guests to search for availability by criteria you define and book directly online. For a simple example please look here: https://beds24.com/demo/agency-online-reservation-system.html

20.2 Can we collect owner payments from properties we manage for third party owners?

We do not have a way to automatically split payments or calculate commission. You could collect the deposit from the guest (your commission) and the property collects the balance when the guest arrives.

21 Multiple Users

You can create Sub Accounts when you need multiple users to access your Beds24 account,click on the 'User' icon on the top right and then on 'Account Management (in the old control panel SUB ACCOUNT in the top right)) and click HELP (top right) for information.

21.1 Can more than one person login at a time to my Beds24 account?

Only one person can use the login at a time, if you need multiple users, then you can create sub accounts with full or limited access rights. Choose from default roles (e.g. admin, backoffice, reception, cleaner) or create your own roles.

21.2 Is there a charge for multiple logins?

Yes, please see you the billing section in your Account for details.

21.3 Can I limit the access rights of my staff?

Yes, you can specify the access rights to each user, you can choose from default roles (e.g. admin, backoffice, reception, cleaner) or create your own roles. The Roles are explained in the SUB ACCOUNT Help page.

21.4 Can I grant access for owners?

Yes, you can specify the access rights the owners have with default roles (a good starting point is the owner role) or create your own roles.

21.5 Can I limit what a user can see in the bookings?

Yes, you can limit the access rights to a login with the ROLE and then you can HIDE additional options within the system.

21.6 Can I give my cleaner access to view the bookings, but stop them from seeing the prices and personal data of the guest?

Yes, you can limit the access to a login with the ROLE you have assigned and HIDE sections of the bookings within their account.

22 Payment Collection

22.1 Can I collect payments from my Guests?

Beds24 integrates with leading payment providers. You can choose your preferred provider from a number of integrated payment and collect funds directly into your account without any additional fees from Beds24.

Integrated payment gateways are Stripe, Paypal (which also allows credit card payments), Stripe, Agodapay , Authorize.Net, Globalpayments, asiapay, pesopay, siampay, paydollar, and Bitpay.

To use this service you will need an account with the payment gateway you want to use.

22.2 Can I collect payments for bookings from the booking page?

Yes. You can use Beds24 to receive deposit for full payments a the time of the booking. You can also send payment requests for payments which are due later.

22.3 How can I collect payments from channels?

If the payment is not collected by the channel you can send payment requests for payments to guests.

Many OTAs including Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda, provide virtual credit cards (VCC) for the property to collect payments. Via Stripe you can automatically charge virtual cards when the payment is due.

If channels send you the guests credit card and you use Stripe as payment gateway you can choose to send credit cards supplied by all channels directly to Stripe where the cards can be validated and charged. Once the guest credit cards have been sent to Stripe you can use auto actions to collect the payments. Go to (SETTINGS) Guest Management > Auto Actions and click HELP (top right menu) for instructions and examples.

22.4 Is payment collection PCI DSS compliant?

All the payment gateways we connect to are fully PCI DSS compliant.

22.5 Can I send a payment request to my guests ?

Yes, you can setup an automated email to your guests requesting payment for their bookings. See the details in the HELP page for the Payment Gateway.

22.6 Can I collect credit card details?

You can securely collect credit card details and process the payment through your own bank or merchant account. If you use Stripe as payment gateway you can choose to send credit cards supplied by all channels directly to Stripe where the cards can be validated and charged.

Due to the European Unions enforcement of strong customer authentication (SCA) collecting credit card details is not a reliable method to secure a booking any more. We recommend European customers to use payment requests instead.

22.7 Can guest pay with Bitcoin?

Yes. You can collect bitcoin payment via Bitpay.

22.8 What happens if the Customer Credit Card is rejected ?

If you have setup your account to send the credit card details to Stripe then you will receive notification that the credit card was rejected and a Booking info code will be added to the Info tab of the booking.

If the booking was from Booking.com then you can choose to auto report invalid cards to Booking.com or use the button in the 'Detail Tab' to Report an Invalid card to Booking.com and they will request a new card from the guest.

If it was a virtual card Stripe might have rejected it because it was not yet valid. In this case you can send it again on check-in day also via the "Details" tab of the booking.

For other channels you will need to contact them and report the card as invalid.

If the booking is in the future, then the invalid credit card details will be stored in Beds24.

22.9 Can I auto report invalid cards to Booking.com?

Yes. You can do this directly from the booking.

23 Pictures

The responsive booking page allows up to 5 pictures per property plus up to five pictures per room/rental and offer. You can choose to show one picture or picture sliders.

23.1 Can we add pictures/images to Upsell Items?

Yes, please go to (SETTINGS) BOOKING ENGINE -> UPSELL ITEMS, and click HELP (top right menu) for the instructions.

24 Open API

24.1 Does Beds24 have an open API?

Yes. We have an open API which our customers can use to integrate their own systems.

25 Own Branding / Private Label

25.1 Can I use my own domain in Beds24?

Yes, The private label option allows you to use your own subdomain for your booking page bookings.mywebsite.com (instead of Beds24).

26 Owner Portal

26.1 Does Beds24 have an owner portal

Yes. You can create Sub Accounts for owners for which you can restrict access so they have only access to the information and reports you allow them to see. A good starting point is the owner role or create your own roles.

27 Proposal / Quote

27.1 Can I send a a proposal or quote to a guest?

Yes. Please use these instructions.

28 Rates/Prices

Beds 24 offers the most flexible pricing and discount options. Simple or complex rate structures can be created according to seasonality, occupancy, minimum stays, maximum stays, booking time (e.g. last minute).

28.1 Can we setup seasonal pricing in Beds24?

Yes.

28.2 Can we offer last-minute or early bird prices?

Yes.

In Daily Prices/Rates use the Min Stay until Checkin to set prices for 'early bird pricing'. For example a setting of 0 will allow this rate to be booked for tonight. A setting of 3 means this rate is only available at least 3 days before the check-in date.

In Daily Prices/Rates use the Max days in advance to set prices for 'last-minute pricing'. For example a setting of 365 will allow this rate to be booked up to a year in advance. A setting of 7 means this rate is only available one week before the first night of the booking.

28.3 Can we have different prices for different days of the week?

Yes. Best option is to use Daily Prices, then you can set the rules in Daily Price Setup and set the individual price per day/date in the Calendar.

28.4 Can offer prices for different occupancies?

Yes. Some channels also accept occupancy based pricing, please check the HELP page for each Channel for specific details, Go to (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER and select the channel from the link on the left. Then click HELP (top right menu) for instructions.

28.5 Do you support dynamic pricing?

Yes. You can adjust the prices easily directly in the Calendar or use a multiplier to adjust all prices of a day.

Our built in Yield optimizer automatically adjusts prices based on demand shortly before check-in.

We also integrate with Pricelabs and RoomPriceGenie who provide sophisticated revenue management tools and and the prices they calculate automatically to Beds24.

29 Reports

29.1 Can I run reports of my bookings from Beds24?

The system includes a range of predefined reports including revenue reports, arrivals, departures, invoices, occupancy and current guests.

29.2 Can I create my own reports in Beds24?

Yes, you can create custom reports in your account.

29.3 I have created a report in the aster account, can I make this available in my sub accounts?

Yes, you can Clone reports from one account to another.

29.4 Can I email a report to my Cleaners?

Yes, you can use the ROUTINES feature in (SETTINGS) ACCOUNT > ROUTINES , click HELP (top right menu) for instructions.

29.5 Is it possible to automate reports and send to my email address?

Yes, you can use the ROUTINES feature in (SETTINGS) ACCOUNT > ROUTINES, click HELP (top right menu) for instructions.

29.6 Can I run financial reports for all my bookings?

Yes, there are a number of pre-defined reports in the Standard Reports, you also have the option to create custom reports.

30 Setup and customization

30.1 Is there a setup fee?

No. Beds24 is designed as a self-service system. Setup is free and you can do it yourself using the our tutorials and self-service tools we provide.

We offer regular webinars in which we demonstrate how Beds24 works in which you also have the option to ask your questions.

If you need help our support team is there for you to assist you via our ticket support system through which we can see your settings.

We also offer Zoom or Skype training sessions for a fee in which we help you set your account up.

31 Where is your office?

Our company is in Berlin, Germany.

32 Wordpress

32.1 Does Beds24 have a Wordpress plugin?

Beds24 provides a free Wordpress plugin (https://wordpress.org/plugins/beds24-online-booking/) which makes it easy to add booking technology to any Wordpress site via shortcodes. The actual management of bookings and inventory is done directly in the Beds24 control panel.

33 Cancel Account

33.1 How can I cancel my account?

You can cancel your account yourself at any time in (SETTINGS) ACCOUNT > BILLING.