Reserve & Pay lets a customer reserve a booking and spread the payment over a short schedule that finishes before their rental date. RentalTide fronts the cost and pays you in full upfront, then collects the customer's scheduled payments itself. You get the money now, the customer gets flexibility, and it costs your business nothing.
This is not a loan, consumer credit, or "buy now, pay later." The customer pays in full before they ever use the rental, so no credit is extended. RentalTide is simply fronting the booking cost on your behalf and collecting the scheduled payments.
Why it's free to you
RentalTide owns and operates the checkout (the same way Shopify operates checkout for its merchants), so we can offer this option and front the cost ourselves.
- You are paid in full, upfront. The moment the booking is placed, RentalTide advances the booking amount to your Stripe account. The booking settles exactly like a normal paid booking.
- No deduction, no cost. There is no extra fee or charge to you for Reserve & Pay. RentalTide funds the advance from its own balance; you are never billed for it. Your standard platform and processing fees apply to the booking as they always would, and Reserve & Pay adds nothing.
- Nothing extra appears on your books. Any service fee charged to the customer for paying over time is collected by RentalTide directly from the customer. It never shows up on your reports, payouts, General Ledger, or financial statements.
The customer pays before the rental
Reserve & Pay is not credit. The payment schedule is built so that all payments complete before the rental date (before the booking's payment cutoff). The customer never receives the rental and pays for it afterward, which is the line that separates this from "buy now, pay later" financing.
If the customer does not finish paying before the rental, the rental simply is not provided until the booking is paid (see Non-completion below).
What your customer sees
At checkout, eligible customers can choose Reserve & Pay instead of paying the full amount now. They:
- Make a small payment today.
- Save a card on file.
- Pay the rest on a schedule that finishes before their rental, charged automatically by RentalTide.
Any service fee for the option is shown to the customer before they confirm. The arrangement is strictly between RentalTide and the customer.
What you see
Your booking simply reads as a normal paid booking (or a deposit booking, depending on how it's configured). Because RentalTide fronts the advance, there is no outstanding "financing" balance on your side and no special handling required.
From your dashboard, a Reserve & Pay booking is indistinguishable from any other paid booking. You fulfill the rental exactly as normal.
How it works behind the scenes
- First payment is collected from the customer at checkout, on RentalTide's platform.
- Front to you - RentalTide transfers the booking amount to your connected Stripe account so you're paid upfront.
- Scheduled collection - RentalTide charges the customer's saved card on the agreed schedule, all dated before the rental, under RentalTide's own billing descriptor.
- Completion - the customer finishes the schedule before the rental date. You were already paid; nothing changes for you.
If a customer doesn't finish paying
RentalTide handles this, not you.
- RentalTide retries the charge on a schedule and reaches out to the customer.
- If the customer does not complete the schedule, RentalTide reverses the unfunded portion of the advance and reinstates that amount as an outstanding balance on the booking, collected through your normal balance-collection flow. The rental need not be provided until the booking is paid.
- RentalTide never charges you a fee in connection with a non-completion.
Availability
Reserve & Pay is offered subject to customer eligibility, RentalTide's working-capital availability, and platform limits. RentalTide may pause or withdraw the option at any time without affecting bookings that have already settled.
Frequently asked questions
Does Reserve & Pay cost me anything?
No. You are paid in full upfront with no deduction. Your usual platform and processing fees on the booking are unchanged, and Reserve & Pay adds nothing.
Is this a loan or consumer credit?
No. The customer pays in full before the rental is provided, so no credit is extended. It is not a loan and not "buy now, pay later." RentalTide is fronting the booking cost on your behalf.
Am I lending money to my customer?
No. Neither you nor RentalTide is acting as a lender. RentalTide fronts the booking cost and collects the customer's scheduled payments.
Will any fees show up in my reports?
No. Any service fee for the option is between RentalTide and the customer and never appears on your ledgers, payouts, or statements.
What happens if the customer stops paying?
RentalTide manages retries and customer outreach. If the customer does not finish, the unpaid portion is reinstated as a normal outstanding balance on the booking and collected through your standard flow, with no charge to you. The rental need not be provided until the booking is paid.
How is this different from Capital?
Capital advances working capital to your business against your processing history, which you repay. Reserve & Pay fronts your customer's booking cost - you're paid in full immediately and have nothing to repay.