In an earlier post, we wrote about what mobile payments are, how they work, and the advantages for travel and tourism brands.
Now, we’re taking a closer look at how to set up and accept mobile payments, including:
- Why should you accept mobile bookings?
- How to choose the right equipment
- How to accept mobile bookings in Xola
Why should you accept mobile bookings?
Simply put, mobile bookings are the future of the travel and tourism industries. If you look at trendlines and stats of smartphone usage and the corresponding percentage of mobile bookings on flights, hotels, and tours and activities, they all trend up and to the right.
In addition, mobile bookings are faster, convenient, and more secure. This allows for a better experience for guests. And it is more efficient for your team.
Who uses mobile payments?
Mobile payments are used in a variety of industries, including but not limited to:
- Brick and Mortar Retail Shops
- Farmers Markets
- Restaurants
- Street Fair Stalls
- Tour Operators
- Attractions
How to choose the right equipment
Setting up mobile payments isn’t that different than setting up a payment gateway or POS system for in-person payments.
Here are the key factors to consider:
Cost
Just like when choosing a payment gateway, you want to look at both credit card processing fees as well as transaction fees. The average cost typically ranges from 1.5% – 3.5% in processing fees along with 20 to 30 cents per transaction.
Security
Anytime you are dealing with sensitive guest information like credit card details, you want to make sure it is secure. This means that your system is fully PCI compliant and has adequate fraud prevention tools in place at a minimum.
Digital Receipts
You should also have the ability to easily email or text a digital receipt for people who pay via their smartphone.
Automated Refund Process
It should be just as easy to give someone a refund as it is for someone to pay for an experience. If you make this process cumbersome, this can lead to negative reviews and a damaged brand reputation.
How to accept mobile bookings in Xola
The simplest and most straightforward way to accept bookings on a smartphone is to simply enable Apple Pay and Google Pay.
You can do this by going to the Xola App Store and installing the Apple Pay and Google Pay app.
Now, if you want to accept mobile payments in-person, you can use the Kiosk App and a credit card swiper. Another perk of using the Kiosk app is that you can also use it for guest self-check-ins as well as signing digital waivers.
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Looking to start accepting mobile bookings to your Xola account? Just log into your account, go to the App Store, and enable Google Pay and Apple Pay to start.
Pro Tip: Not a customer but interested in checking out Xola? Click here to watch a demo from one of our product specialists.
