Yes, WPRentals lets you take partial payments using a booking deposit, like 30 percent now and the rest later. You set the deposit as a fixed amount or a percentage between 1 and 100 of the full booking cost. A booking turns into confirmed only after this deposit is paid, while the unpaid balance stays visible in both guest and owner dashboards for follow-up.
Before exploring alternatives, how does partial payment work in WPRentals?
The system confirms a reservation only after the set deposit has been paid.
In this theme, partial payment works through a deposit rule that controls when a booking becomes confirmed. The site admin sets this deposit globally, either as a fixed amount like 100 or a percentage like 30 of the total booking price. Once the payment goes through, the booking changes from pending to confirmed, which cuts down fake or half-finished reservations in your calendar.
After the guest pays the deposit, WPRentals creates an invoice with total price, paid amount, and remaining balance. The same breakdown shows in both the guest dashboard and the owner dashboard so everyone sees matching numbers. The deposit can be from 1 percent to 100 percent of the booking cost, so you can ask for a small share or full payment, based on your rules.
If you set the deposit to 100 percent, the booking acts like full prepayment, which works well for short stays. If you use a smaller share like 20 percent or 30 percent, only that part is charged at checkout while the rest stays due later. WPRentals keeps the booking confirmed once the deposit is paid, and you choose how and when to collect the balance, online or offline.
| Setting | What you control | Result in bookings |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit type | Fixed amount or percentage | Fits your payment style |
| Deposit value | From 1 percent to 100 percent | Low share or full upfront |
| Confirmation rule | Booking confirms after deposit paid | No confirmed booking without payment |
| Dashboard display | Show total paid remaining | Guest and owner see same balance |
| Invoice handling | Deposit and balance line items | Clear price split for everyone |
This table shows how a few simple settings still give you solid control over partial payments. At first it seems complex. It is not. By tying confirmation to the deposit and tracking the balance, WPRentals keeps your calendar safe while you follow your own payment style.
Can I set 30% now and the rest later, and how is the balance handled?
You can pick any deposit percentage and collect the balance later in a second step.
In practice, “30 percent now, 70 percent later” means you enter 30 in the global deposit percentage field. WPRentals uses that value for each booking, so the guest pays only 30 percent of the total at checkout and the system marks that part as paid. The remaining 70 percent shows as still due in both the guest area and the owner area, so the unpaid part stays clear.
After the first payment, WPRentals doesn’t force one fixed path for the rest of the money. Guests can pay the balance in cash at arrival, by bank transfer days before, or through a second online payment handled on the site. The admin can create or trigger a separate invoice for the remaining balance when it fits, like 7 days before check-in or right after approval. That invoice can stay hidden too if you want to manage the full balance offline.
The dashboards work like a shared truth for the balance, even if you mix online and offline steps. WPRentals highlights the unpaid amount and you can add due dates or notes through your own text and rules. The system does not run many automatic installments past the first deposit, which keeps control with you, but it supports a clear two-step flow.
How customizable are deposit rules per property, season, and booking type?
Global deposit rules keep behavior stable while each listing still has flexible prices.
The main deposit rule lives at global level so every booking follows the same pattern without guesswork. WPRentals uses that global deposit amount for all listings by default, so guests always see the same “pay X percent now” style. That steady pattern matters when you manage many properties under one brand and don’t want different payment habits for each one.
At the same time, each listing can use its own pricing, fees, and seasons next to that shared deposit setup. WPRentals lets owners or admins set custom prices per season, minimum stay per period, extra guest costs, and more for each property. Hourly listings and nightly listings follow the same deposit rule, so a meeting room and a villa can both run “30 percent at booking” without odd cases. The deposit still uses the total price built from each listing’s rules.
Season prices and minimum stays don’t clash with deposits, they just shape the price the percentage uses. For example, if a peak week costs 1,400 and the deposit is 25 percent, the system asks the guest for 350 as the partial payment. WPRentals does this math for you, so you set the rule once, then each property’s calendar, seasons, and booking type decide the final amounts under that single rule.
What payment gateways, currencies, and methods can I use for deposits?
Deposits can be paid through on-site cards, PayPal, bank transfer, or any WooCommerce supported gateway.
Out of the box, WPRentals connects to Stripe and PayPal so guests can pay deposits by card or PayPal wallet. You can also offer bank or wire transfer as an offline option for people who prefer sending money that way, which some owners like for large bookings. In every case, the booking confirmation rule stays the same. The deposit must show as paid in the system.
If you need local options like regional wallets or country banks, you can use WooCommerce and let that handle checkout. WPRentals passes the booking invoice into WooCommerce and you can then use any gateway that works with WooCommerce, often many options through common addons. Multi currency setups are possible using gateways or WooCommerce currency tools, while the base deposit logic keeps running in the background.
- Stripe and PayPal handle secure deposit payments on your site.
- Bank transfer lets guests send the deposit offline when cards are not ideal.
- WooCommerce support opens many local payment gateways for deposits.
- Currency tools and gateways show prices and deposits in different currencies.
FAQ
Does WPRentals support many automatic installments beyond the first deposit?
WPRentals supports one main deposit and a manually controlled balance instead of many automatic installments.
The system uses a clear first payment that confirms the booking and a remaining balance you handle. You can create a second online invoice or collect payment by cash, transfer, or another method. If you want several future auto charges like a subscription, you’d manage that outside the theme with your own tools or with the PMS (Property Management Software) you use.
What is the difference between a booking deposit and a damage or security deposit in WPRentals?
The booking deposit secures the reservation, while the damage or security deposit covers possible damage costs.
In WPRentals, the booking deposit is the partial payment used on the full stay price to confirm the booking. The security deposit is a separate amount you can add per listing as a damage safeguard, shown as its own line item in the cost breakdown. Refunds of security deposits are handled manually by the admin through Stripe, PayPal, or another method after the stay.
Who receives the deposit and balance payments, and how are owners paid?
All deposits and balances go to the site admin, who then pays owners manually or off the platform.
WPRentals uses a centralized payout model where the admin is the merchant of record for Stripe, PayPal, and other gateways. That means every booking payment, whether just the deposit or full upfront, lands in the admin’s account. The admin later settles with property owners by bank transfer, cash, or other agreed channels, while the theme keeps booking and invoice records.
How are cancellations, refunds, and deposit returns handled in WPRentals?
Cancellations and any refunds of deposits or balances are handled manually based on your written policies.
Each listing can show a custom cancellation rule that explains when guests may get a full or partial refund. WPRentals records bookings and payments but doesn’t auto calculate or send refunds when someone cancels. The admin or host uses the payment gateway, like the one in your channel manager (Property Management Software), to process any refund and updates the booking status in the dashboard so the records stay accurate, even if the process feels a bit manual sometimes.
