In 30 seconds: a direct booking saves you the 15% Airbnb or Booking.com would take, but getting paid by bank transfer costs you elsewhere: dates held that never get paid, blocking by hand and guests who don't trust it. The fix is a website that checks your calendar, charges by card and closes the dates everywhere, on its own.
The three problems with bank transfers
1. Dates held, never paid. "I'll take it, I'll send the transfer tomorrow." Two days pass, you turn others away out of courtesy, and it never arrives.
2. Double bookings from blocking by hand. The payment lands at 2 a.m. Until you log in to Airbnb and Booking.com to close the dates, someone else can book them.
3. Distrust. Sending $800 to a stranger's bank account is scary, and a transfer has none of a card's protection. Plenty of guests end up booking on the platform even though it costs them more.
What your booking system has to do
- ✅ Check real availability across all your channels before taking payment.
- ✅ Charge by card instantly, on a payment page people recognise.
- ✅ Close the dates on your other channels without you lifting a finger.
What the guest sees
They pick dates on your website, see whether they're free and the total, enter their details and pay.
- With Stripe, they pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and the money goes to your Stripe account. More in charge your guests with Stripe.
- With your bank's card terminal (Redsys, in Spain), they pay on your bank's secure page, with their banking app's verification. Amplistay never sees or stores card details.
- With a deposit, you charge part at booking and the rest before arrival, with an automatic reminder.
And the dates close themselves
The booking goes into your Amplistay calendar, and Airbnb, Booking.com or your channel manager read it by iCal and block those dates. How to connect it: the iCal guide.
Quick questions
Can I still take a transfer from a guest I trust? Of course. Create the booking by hand in the dashboard and it goes into your calendar all the same.
What if the guest wants to stay one more night? They can extend their stay and pay for it on the same website. See how to automate booking extensions.
How much do I save? On a $600 booking, around $90 in commission. The maths is in the real Airbnb commission.
With Amplistay you get your own website with secure direct bookings: $19 / €19 per month per website, tax included, no commission. Setting it up and trying it is free.