Damage Deposit Process

I am just not getting this security/damage deposit thing. Brain has hit a brick wall. So baby talk me thru this.

There are two System Messages that relate to obtaining the deposit:

Send Security Deposit Reminder to Guest
This email sends the guest a reminder that their security deposit is due.

Send Security Deposit Request Form to Guest
This email asks the guest to authorize or schedule a security deposit with a link to an online form where they can enter their payment information.

I have actually modified the first message that reminds the guest their deposit is due. I've also gone into my Surcharges & Discounts and set up the deposit and I verified that it shows up on a quote and is not taxed

Where I'm clueless is finding the trigger for this. Do I have to set up the trigger?

Also - why are there two different System Messages. Wouldn't we want to remind the guest that their deposit is due and at the same time give them the Request Form?

Finally, for those guests who've paid me using PayPal, how does the CC hold work for the damage deposit?

EDIT: I am more confused now. Had a booking thru OR this weekend and when I quoted the reservation it showed as collecting the $250 as a Surcharge (because I set it up as a surcharge - so I get why that showed up). But then it also said it would be collecting the security deposit 3 days before arrival. So where does that come from?!?

I went in and removed the surcharge for the $250. But I still don't know where to find the security deposit info. And, still don't understand different between the two system messages and if/when they are triggered.

Like I said - baby talk, please. :)

I think you are conflating 2 terms.
1. Damage deposit (traditional) - amount added to the total as non-taxable , and refunded by you after stay if everything checks out. I define this as additional flat fee (in my case $300, non taxable, shown below tax item on quotes). Once stay is done, I manually issue a "refund" for that amount that goes to guests's cc.
2. Security deposit. This is a credit card AUTHORIZATION (no money is actually collected). Usually set up to activate about 2-3 days prior to stay. If you do not have guests cc info in the system, an email goes out reminding them to enter their cc infor for the purpose of holding a sec dep. After stay the sec dep authorization is released either manually or automatically. Note in this case NO money changes hands. This amount is NOT shown on quotes to the guest.

It looks like you may have defined BOTH (either intentionally or unintentionally).

I use #1 on all direct bookings. I use #2 only on booking.com bookings by manipulation "rules" on a given booking. If you do not use booking.com and want to only use traditional refundable deposit, you need to follow #1 set up and disable automatic sec dep that is described in #2

OK - I was using "security" and "damage" interchangeably. So what I was talking about was the "security deposit" - the one where there is a hold against the guest's credit card. With that said, I still am not sure about:

There are two System Messages that relate to obtaining the deposit:

Send Security Deposit Reminder to Guest
This email sends the guest a reminder that their security deposit is due.

Send Security Deposit Request Form to Guest
This email asks the guest to authorize or schedule a security deposit with a link to an online form where they can enter their payment information.

I have actually modified the first message that reminds the guest their deposit is due. I've also gone into my Surcharges & Discounts and set up the deposit and I verified that it shows up on a quote and is not taxed

Where I'm clueless is finding the trigger for this. Do I have to set up the trigger?

Also - why are there two different System Messages. Wouldn't we want to remind the guest that their deposit is due and at the same time give them the Request Form?

No, I believe it is a property rule. Go under property> Rules. It is there when /how sec dep has to be reserved etc.

Yep, the rule will send out those reminders when needed. There are a couple different cases of this:

a) If a guests books with a credit card (not PayPal), then the secdep will be automatically scheduled and they won't need a reminder they'll just get a receipt email when it's reserved
b) If it comes time for a security deposit and there's no scheduled one, the system will send the "Send Security Deposit Reminder to Guest" template which includes a link so the guest can enter their card (or put on a hold via PayPal)
c) If you want to ask for a one-off secdep, go to the Transactions tab of the booking and do Request > Security Deposit. This will use the "Send Security Deposit Request Form to Guest"

You don't need to set up a trigger for the System Messages type templates -- those will be sent by the system at the appropriate time. You only need triggers for new custom messages you add for things like pre-arrival welcome letters.