Yes, you can take only a deposit or partial payment when the guest books, then collect the rest offline at pickup. WPRentals lets you set a small online amount to lock in the booking while you handle the final cash or bank payment in person. The system still shows the full price and what is left to pay, so both you and the guest stay clear about money.
How does WPRentals handle deposits and partial payments at booking?
The system confirms reservations after a deposit is paid and tracks the remaining balance in a clear way.
In WPRentals you set one global deposit rule that applies to all bookings, and that rule decides when a booking is confirmed. You can choose a fixed value, like $50, or a percentage of the booking total, like 20 percent. The moment the guest pays that required amount online, the booking status switches to confirmed and those dates are blocked.
This setup in WPRentals can work with both small deposits and 100 percent prepayment. You can say “deposit is 100 percent” if you want full money up front, or drop it to a lower rate to only secure the dates. The booking form shows the deposit amount before payment, so guests see what they will be charged right now.
After payment, the guest dashboard clearly shows two numbers. What has been paid and the total price. Hosts see the same split in their own dashboards in WPRentals, along with nights, taxes, and any extras. Since the remaining balance is stored in the invoice, everyone can check the numbers later, even if the rest will be paid in cash or another way.
Can I collect the remaining balance offline when guests arrive to pick up the item?
You can take only a partial payment online and settle the remaining balance fully offline.
WPRentals lets you treat the online part as just a deposit, a service fee, or any other slice of the total. Many site owners set the deposit to around 10 to 30 percent, then tell guests to pay the rest when they arrive to collect the item. At first this sounds like a complex split. It isn’t. The key point is that the booking becomes confirmed after that initial amount is paid online.
Inside this setup, the theme will still generate a second invoice for the remaining balance, but you don’t have to use it. In WPRentals the admin can ignore that invoice or hide the option for guests to pay it online if the plan is to handle the full balance face to face. The booking record will still keep the remaining amount as unpaid, so you keep a simple paper trail.
- You can set a small deposit online and mark the rest as due on arrival.
- The admin may hide the second payment button so guests can’t pay balance online.
- Guests can pay the remaining sum in cash, card terminal, or direct bank transfer.
- The dashboard still shows total cost, paid deposit, and unpaid balance for clarity.
When you collect the balance offline, you work outside the payment tools in WPRentals, but the booking data stays safe inside the site. The invoice and dashboard views still show the full price, the deposit amount, and the unpaid balance. That mix keeps your site records clear while giving you the freedom to run the “pay the rest at pickup” flow you want. Sometimes this offline step feels old fashioned, and honestly it kind of is, but for many owners it’s still the least annoying way to get paid.
Which online payment options can I use for deposits and partial payments?
You can use card gateways, PayPal, and bank transfer to collect the first deposit payment.
WPRentals includes built‑in Stripe and PayPal, so you can take deposits through credit cards or PayPal accounts. You only need WooCommerce if you want a payment gateway not in the theme, or if you need advanced tax and invoice rules. In many cases, the built-in methods are enough for a simple deposit plus offline balance flow.
The theme also offers a bank or wire transfer option that works more like an offline method but still records the booking and invoice. With WooCommerce active on top of WPRentals, you can unlock any WooCommerce‑compatible gateway while the booking logic stays inside the theme. In deposit mode, WooCommerce checkout will only charge the deposit figure, and you can then decide if the rest of the money is taken later online or in person.
How are invoices, balances, and host payouts managed with WPRentals?
The platform sends online payments to the site owner, who controls host payouts and manual refunds.
Each confirmed booking in WPRentals gets an invoice that lists price per night or hour, extra fees, taxes, deposit paid, and how much is still due. The system stores at least two money values. The amount paid online and the full booking total. This makes it easier to prove later what was handled through the site and what should be collected offline from the guest.
All online payments go to the site administrator’s Stripe, PayPal, or other active gateway account. WPRentals works on a central wallet idea, so the theme never splits payments between owners. As the site admin, you then pay hosts by bank transfer, cash, or any off‑platform method you agree on. That means more work for you, but it also keeps control with one person.
If you want guests to pay the full amount online, you can enable a second invoice for the remaining balance. When that second invoice is paid in WPRentals, the booking will show zero balance due. Refunds and security deposit returns are always done by you manually using Stripe, PayPal, or your bank tools, while the theme keeps a record of amounts and statuses.
| Item | Who handles money | Where it is tracked |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit payment | Admin receives funds | Booking invoice with paid amount |
| Remaining balance online | Admin if second invoice used | Second invoice and booking status |
| Remaining balance offline | Owner or admin in person | Invoice still shows unpaid balance |
| Security deposit refund | Admin via payment gateway | Marked manually after refund |
| Host earnings payout | Admin via bank or cash | Handled outside theme system |
This structure keeps all online money under the site owner’s control while letting you pay hosts however you like. WPRentals quietly handles the math, invoices, and booking statuses, and you handle the real bank moves and any refunds or owner payouts.
How do deposits interact with fees, security deposits, and cancellation terms?
Deposits can cover all fees and security amounts while cancellation rules explain how much is refundable.
When you set a deposit percentage in WPRentals, the theme includes cleaning fees, city taxes, extra guest costs, and custom extras in that calculation. For example, if the base rent is $200 and fees add another $50, and the deposit is 20 percent, the system will take $50 as the online amount. At first that seems odd, but it keeps the share between deposit and total fair across short and long bookings.
You can also add a separate security deposit field per listing that becomes part of the grand total. That security amount is collected like any other line, then later refunded manually if there is no damage. WPRentals shows this in the price breakdown, so guests see how much is rent and how much is held as a safety sum.
Each listing can have its own cancellation terms that say what happens to the paid deposit if the guest cancels. The theme doesn’t auto‑calculate refunds, so you follow your written rule and send back whatever part you decide through Stripe, PayPal, or bank. Because all amounts are stored in invoices, it’s easy to see the original deposit and decide what part is returned, unless your own policy is unclear.
FAQ
Can I schedule many future installments instead of just one deposit and a balance?
No, the system focuses on one deposit and an optional second payment, not many installments.
WPRentals is built around a simple split. Initial deposit to confirm, plus one extra payment if you want to charge more online. If you need three or four automatic installments over months, you have to manage those outside the theme. Some owners just take a larger deposit, then handle the rest by bank transfer or at check‑in.
Do guests see clearly how much they still owe after paying the deposit?
Yes, guests always see both what they paid and what balance remains in their account area.
Once a deposit is paid in WPRentals, the booking in the guest dashboard shows total price, paid amount, and unpaid balance. The same breakdown also appears in the invoice view and in host dashboards. That way there’s less confusion, even if the plan is to pay the rest in cash when picking up the item.
Does the deposit and balance flow work for both hourly and nightly rentals?
Yes, the same deposit and remaining balance logic works for hourly and nightly bookings.
WPRentals lets each listing use nightly or hourly booking mode, or you can mix both on one site. No matter which mode a listing uses, the deposit is still a fixed amount or percentage of the full calculated price. The remaining balance field is stored the same way and can be paid online with a second invoice or offline at arrival.
Can WooCommerce checkout charge only the deposit while I collect the rest offline?
Yes, WooCommerce can be used so checkout charges only the deposit and you handle the rest separately.
When you integrate WooCommerce with WPRentals, the theme still decides the deposit value, and WooCommerce charges only that amount at checkout. After payment, the booking is confirmed with a recorded balance due. You can later choose to send a new WooCommerce order for the balance or simply collect the remaining amount offline by your normal methods. Sometimes that means more messages and reminders, but that tradeoff is part of keeping control of payments.
