It’s important to be communicative and transparent with your Guest so they know exactly what’s happening with their deposit. Here’s how you can handle those funds post-trip:
Your Management Options
Hold the Entire Deposit (for additional days): If you need more time to estimate repairs or find a specific receipt, you can extend the hold on the deposit.
Claim a Portion: If the post-reservation charges (like a $50 cleaning fee) are less than the total deposit, you can claim just that specific amount.
Claim the Full Amount: If the total charges meet or exceed the deposit amount, select this option to withhold the entire hold from the Guest.
Automated System Actions
The 7-Day Auto-Release: If the rig comes back in perfect shape and you take no action, the system will automatically release the hold 7 days after the trip ends. No work is required on your end!
The 30-Day Extension: If you file an official insurance claim before the 7-day window closes, the system will automatically retain the deposit for at least 30 days.
Pro Tip: Be sure to tell your Claims Adjuster if there are additional ancillary fees (like cleaning) you want to collect from that retained deposit.
Handling Long-Term Bookings
On longer adventures, a Guest’s bank may have an "authorization expiration" (usually every 7–30 days, depending on their specific policy).
What happens: We will automatically release and re-authorize the hold to keep your security net active.
This may reflect as a line item on their card statement, but rest assured, if they check the available balance, the authorization for these funds will only be held once. (Reminder - Outdoorsy is not responsible for the management or validity of Guest payment methods.)
Guest Communication: If a Guest asks about a new line item on their statement, reassure them that it is just a "refresh" of the original hold and not a double charge.
If there are variable add-on costs or fees that need to be charged once your Guest returns, follow the steps below:
- Go to the Bookings page on your account
- Select the applicable booking
- Click Collect charges
- Charge any items out of the security deposit as necessary