Beyond Deposits: The power of Card Guarantees in securing bookings

In hospitality, key dates like Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Mother’s Day, and New Year’s Eve, are goldmines for bookings, but they can also come with risks. No-shows, late cancellations, and inefficient table management can quickly erode potential revenue. For many, the go-to solution has long been taking deposits. But there’s a smarter, more frictionless approach: the Card Guarantee.

Why Card Guarantees matter

While deposits have their place, they can also come with friction: guests must commit funds upfront, and refunding them if plans change adds operational overhead. Card Guarantees, on the other hand, allow you to secure a booking with card details, only charging in case of a no-show or late cancellation. This, in turn:

• Reduces no-shows and last-minute cancellations
• Improves the guest experience by avoiding upfront charges
• Maintains flexibility for guests, encouraging more bookings
• Eases operational pressure by minimising refund processing

We’ve put together five easy-to follow-steps on how you can use Zonal Bookings to add card guarantees to your bookings It is also worth noting, should you have any bespoke booking journeys (i.e., using the API), or if you have any 3rd party integrations, such as Mozrest, IOVOX or PolyAI etc, you may need to consult your Account Manager prior to setting this up.

Setting up a Card Guarantee booking rule

Credit Card Guarantees can be set up within Events Admin > Booking rules

1. Click Add “new booking rule”
2. Give your booking rule a name (this is internal use only)
3. Then set the conditions for the booking rule. This can be:
   1. By cover range (e.g. for 10+ covers)
   2. Menu selection (e.g. for all Afternoon Tea Bookings)
   3. Occasion (e.g. for all Festive Occasion Bookings) (Note: Ensure you select the occasions this rule is relevant to)
   4. A combination of any of the above (e.g any Afternoon Tea menu with bookings of 10+ covers)

4. Next, select “Require Card Guarantee” which will be automatically triggered based on the condition(s) set above in Step 3
   1. Enter the amount that will be charged per person in the description field This is important as the booking widget will not display an amount in the ‘estimated costs’ part of the online booking journey, as it would for a deposit (see customer journey further on in this article)
   2. Enter the amount per person and per child that will be charged
   3. Enter the number of days or hours the Card Guarantee is required by as either ‘due before arrival’ or ‘due after the booking is made’
   4. Enter in any terms and conditions required (this is optional)
   5. Select if you would like to have the Card Guarantee process as part of the API or widget journey or if the guest will need to log into their guest portal to pay
5. Lastly, ensure that the new booking rule is ticked as “enabled”

The customer journey and host process for card guarantees

As mentioned above, the estimated cost will not be displayed for Card Guarantee as it would for a deposit. To ensure transparency, it’s important to enter an amount and a short message in the Card Guarantee Description Box, so the guest is made aware of the potential charge for a no-show.

10-minute booking window

When guests book using a Card Guarantee, they have 10 minutes to enter their card details. During this window:

• A temporary booking is held in Tables to reserve capacity.
• In the Tables interface, a temporary booking will be clearly marked (shown below)
• If card details are not submitted within 10 minutes, the table is released and becomes bookable again.

Adding card details post-booking

If the card guarantee was not set as required during the API or widget journey, then:

• Guests will be prompted to log into their guest portal to add card details before a specified cut-off date.
• This cut-off is set based on the ‘due before arrival’ or ‘due after booking is made’ rules in your booking settings.
• The Card Guarantee description will be visible in the guest portal.

Guests can also amend or remove their card details in the portal up until this cut-off point.

Host view and payment authorisation

Identifying Card Guarantee Bookings

In the Events Host platform, bookings with a Card Guarantee are marked with a green credit card symbol. By clicking into the booking and scrolling to the “Card Guarantee” section, staff can confirm that payment details have been submitted. Note:

• Card details are not visible to staff.
• Cards cannot be charged before the booking time.

Charging the guest after a no-show

After the booking time has passed a ‘charge’ button will appear and can be used for up to 48 hours. You can amend the charge amount and must enter a reason for the charge.

Once charged:

• A note is added to the booking to confirm a charge was made.
• Select “See Guest Audit for Full Details” to view who processed the charge, how much was taken, and the reason.
• This information is visible only in the Host app—not to guests.
• Guests will receive an email notification confirming a payment has been taken.

Importance of testing

Before going live, we always recommend that you test your setup and make a test booking to see the journey firsthand so you and your team can handle any guest queries with confidence.

Benefits of Card Guarantees

Card Guarantees give you the best of both worlds, protection for your business and flexibility for your guests. Especially on dates where demand outstrips supply, this method builds guest commitment without putting up unnecessary booking barriers.

Now’s the time to modernise your booking strategy. Make Card Guarantees a key part of the booking journey, and you’ll be rewarded with higher attendance, and ultimately, better revenue control.