Direct Booking Website Development With Payments, Agreements, and Guest Checks Built In

A booking engine setup starts at $1,050 for up to 5 homes. That covers your PMS checkout styled to match, card payments, an e-signed agreement, and ID checks. Adding screening, damage waivers, and synced pricing starts at $2,650, and a custom checkout with Google listings starts at $6,100.

A checkout setup takes 2 to 3 weeks, a screened engine 4 to 6 weeks, and a custom checkout 8 to 10 weeks. Google says its vacation rentals integration usually takes 8 to 12 weeks after your property list arrives, so we start that part early.

You put payment and signature in the same checkout. Guests pick dates, see the full total with fees and taxes, sign your rental agreement, and pay by card before the booking confirms. OwnerRez, for example, shows the agreement as a step in its booking flow.

Your booking site reads rates and minimum stays from the PMS or a pricing tool instead of storing its own. PriceLabs, for example, recalculates prices and minimum stays daily and pushes them to the PMS, which updates your site and each channel. Gap-night rules work the same way.

You run all three before arrival, inside the booking flow. Stripe Identity can match a photo ID to a selfie, and screening services such as Truvi or SafeGuest connect to OwnerRez. A damage waiver covers accidental damage without a large card hold, and flagged bookings wait for your approval.

You connect your homes to Google's vacation rentals through an approved connectivity partner, usually your PMS. Guesty, Hostaway, OwnerRez, and Lodgify are on Google's list. Free booking links send travelers to your booking pages, and paid campaigns run from a linked Google Ads account. Individual homeowners aren't eligible.

Start with the checkout inside your PMS if it handles your agreement, deposits, and screening well. A custom checkout earns its cost when you need bundled add-ons, special fee rules, or one search across many homes. We test the built-in option first and say which way we'd go.

Most hosts use a refundable card hold or a damage waiver instead of cash. Card authorizations on online payments generally last about 7 days, so the hold goes on shortly before arrival. For longer stays, a waiver replaces it, and claims follow your signed agreement.

Your checkout shows the full total before payment: nightly rate, cleaning fee, any service fee, and the lodging taxes your area charges. We set the fee and tax lines in the PMS so quotes match invoices. Filing lodging taxes on direct stays remains with you or your accountant.

Yes, the domain, site, Stripe account, and guest records sit in accounts in your name, and payouts go straight to your bank. Each plan includes 30 to 90 days of fixes after launch, and seasonal rule changes can go into an optional care plan later.