How do you accept bookings with online payment on WordPress?

Full payment, deposit then balance, or payment on site: how a WordPress booking plugin takes payments online, what it costs and how to enable it with Stripe.

To accept bookings paid online on WordPress, you need a booking plugin linked to a payment provider. With GDA Kraft Booking, a free plugin published by Global Digital Agency, payment goes through Stripe via Kraft Pay: bank card, Apple Pay and Google Pay, 3-D Secure authentication, deposit at booking and balance charged automatically. There is no subscription and no paid module; only payments collected online carry a service fee, added to the total paid by the guest or client.

Which payment method should you choose?

Method	Principle	Suited to
Full payment	The client pays everything at booking	Short appointments, stays booked shortly before arrival
Deposit then balance	Part at booking, the rest charged automatically before arrival	Holiday lets booked well in advance
Deposit then balance on the appointment day	Part online, the balance due on the day of the appointment: charged to the saved card, or paid on site and recorded as an offline payment	Services where the final amount may vary
Payment on site	Nothing online, the booking is recorded	Regular clients, simple services

For holiday lets, the article How much deposit should I ask for, and how do I take it online? helps you set the percentage and the balance deadline; for appointments, see How do I take a deposit for an appointment?. Watch the terminology: in France, an acompte (deposit) and arrhes do not have the same consequences in the event of cancellation, see Deposit or arrhes.

How do you enable it with GDA Kraft Booking?

Create a free Kraft GDA account, with no credit card, download the plugin from the "Downloads" section of your owner account, install it, then create your accommodations or services.
Connect the site with Kraft Booking › Kraft GDA › "Connect my site →": the downloaded edition includes everything, no add-on to install. See Install and connect Kraft Booking.
Enable Kraft Pay in Kraft Booking › Kraft GDA, "Online payments" card › "Enable payments": a Stripe Connect Express account is created in your name, with no API key to copy. Stripe verifies your identity and your IBAN. Details: Enable Stripe payments.
Choose the payment method: for accommodations, in the accommodation settings › "Rates & seasons" tab › "Deposit and balance" panel ("Deposit (%)", "Balance due before arrival (days)"); for appointments, "Deposit at booking (%)" in each service. Then set your booking module or block to online payment ("Payment" or "Payment mode" option).
Make a complete test payment before opening bookings, using the checklist.

The money from bookings arrives in your Stripe account, then in your bank account according to Stripe's payout schedule.

How much does an online payment cost?

Licence, subscription, payment module: none.
Service fee: 0.9% per transaction collected online, reduced to 0.45% until 30 June 2027, shown on a "Service fee" line and added to the total paid by the guest or client.
Stripe fees: Stripe's processing fees apply on top, according to its pricing.
Offline payments recorded by hand and bookings imported via iCal: no service fee.

A worked example is detailed in How much does an online payment cost?.

Security and compliance

Card data does not pass through your site: the client enters their card on a payment page hosted by Stripe, which simplifies your PCI DSS compliance (see PCI DSS). Strong 3-D Secure authentication is handled, including for charging the balance after the booking (see 3-D Secure).

Frequently asked questions

Is online payment mandatory?

No. You can take booking requests without payment, or record bookings paid by bank transfer, cheque or cash, with no service fee.

Is PayPal offered?

No, PayPal is not among the payment methods announced at present. Online payment goes through Stripe: cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay.

What happens if the balance cannot be charged?

The guest receives the email "Your booking balance is due", you receive a "Balance charge failed" alert, and the booking appears in Kraft Console › "Bookings", "Payments to follow up" tab. See Payment declined: what should I do?.

Can I refund online?

Yes, in full or in part, from the booking file, "05 Payments" tab › "Refund". See How do you refund a booking?.