Set Up Stripe Payments in Smoobu

What the Stripe integration in Smoobu does

The online payment integration lets you connect Stripe to Smoobu so guests can pay for direct bookings — through your own booking website or embedded booking widget — directly by card, without you collecting card details manually or needing a separate payment terminal. The charge itself runs through Stripe as the payment provider; Smoobu handles linking it to the booking, triggering the payment request, and updating the booking status.

The exact feature set, available payment types (e.g. SEPA direct debit alongside card payment), and whether the Stripe integration is included in your Smoobu plan can vary — check the current feature list at smoobu.com/pricing before relying on a specific capability. Fees for the card charge itself are set by Stripe, not Smoobu — current rates are at stripe.com/pricing.

Step 1 — Connect a Stripe account

Before guests can pay online, you need an active Stripe account linked to Smoobu.

1. Create or connect a Stripe account: If you don't have a Stripe account yet, one gets created as part of the setup; if you already have one (e.g. for another sales channel), it can usually be linked. The exact flow (direct OAuth connection vs. manual API key entry) depends on your current Smoobu version — follow the wizard under Settings → Online Payment or Payment provider.
2. Enter your business details: Stripe requires business or sole-proprietor details, a bank account for payouts, and sometimes identity verification to activate the account. Without completed verification, the account usually stays in test mode or can't pay out real transactions.
3. Check the payout schedule: Stripe typically pays out collected amounts to your bank account on a fixed schedule (often every few days) — the exact timing depends on your country and account status and is visible in the Stripe dashboard under Payouts.

Without a verified Stripe account, online payment can be configured in Smoobu but not used in production — test the connection with a real small-amount booking before turning it on for all guests.

Step 2 — Activate online payment

Once the account is connected, the payment method needs to be turned on for the booking paths you want.

1. For your direct booking website: Enable online payment on your booking widget or direct booking page so guests can settle the amount by card at the end of the booking flow instead of only sending a non-binding inquiry.
2. For supported channels: Some channel manager connections don't support redirecting to an external payment page, since the platform (e.g. Airbnb) handles payment itself. The Stripe integration mainly applies to direct bookings and channels without their own payment processing — check per channel whether a payment redirect is actually meaningful or technically supported.
3. Choose accepted payment types: Depending on your Stripe account configuration, you can enable payment types beyond card, such as SEPA direct debit or local methods. Which types are actually selectable in Smoobu depends on the integration — check the available options directly in your account's payment settings.

Step 3 — Configure the payment trigger

Decide when and how much a guest actually has to pay.

1. Full payment at booking: The full amount is charged immediately at the completion of the direct booking — this reduces no-shows but may slightly lower conversion for price-sensitive guests.
2. Deposit plus balance: A partial amount (often 20–30%) is charged immediately, and the remainder is automatically requested later — a window of a few weeks before arrival is common. Exact configurability of staged payments varies by Smoobu version, check the current feature in your account.
3. Automated payment request via link: Instead of only processing payment within the booking flow itself, a payment link can also be sent to guests through an automated message (Automation → Messages), for example for bookings that came in outside your own website or where the initial charge failed.

Don't change the payment trigger on short notice for already-confirmed bookings — communicate changes to payment terms in advance, or you risk complaints over surprise charges.

Step 4 — Handle refunds and failed payments

Not every payment goes smoothly — this step keeps exceptions from turning into operational chaos.

1. Detect a failed payment: Smoobu shows a booking's payment status on the dashboard; when a card is declined (often due to card limits, an expired card, or fraud screening), the booking stays in "payment pending" status. Set up a reminder message here rather than manually checking every booking.
2. Trigger a retry: Send the guest a new payment link instead of cancelling the booking without asking — a single failure doesn't automatically mean the guest can't or won't pay.
3. Refund on cancellation: Refunds are typically triggered directly in the Stripe dashboard, not in Smoobu itself — check your cancellation terms (full, partial, or no refund depending on the notice period) before refunding, and document the reason for your own bookkeeping.

Troubleshooting common issues