Security deposit for 3rd party bookings

VRBO/Ha started to hold security deposits (i.e they charge the renter sec dep but they do not deposit it into owner's account). I do not like that arrangement at all. I like to be in control of deposit instead of (potentially) having to prove damages to HA in order to collect from deposit.
So I was entertaining the following idea.
1. set up VRBO with "security deposit not required".
2. Disclose in VRBO listing that sec dep will be required by a cc and will be collected 3 days prior to arrival.
3. VRBO booking is imported to OR
4. be able to send the sec dep link to the renter 3 days prior to arrival and have them submit their CC info for the sec dep amount. I don' want to have to handle their CC myself

I have done some testing and it seems I am unable to set up a link for sec deposit UNLESS I enter guest's card number. But i want to have THEM enter the card number when they receive a link.

P.S. I do not collect sec dep in a form of CC auth for my OR bookings - I have it as a nontaxable "surcharge" that I later refund. So i do not have sec dep enabled globally.

So is there anything i am doing wrong here? That is preventing me form being able to send them a link where they can enter their CC for sec dep hold?
TIA

Yep, it's never good to have a third party in charge of the damage deposit. I've seen people doing exactly what you describe with stating the secdep in the house rules and it works well.

Sending the link should work as long as you go into the booking Rules and enable the secdep there. That's probably what's tripping it up right now -- you have the secdep off for the property, so the booking Rules default to that. But you can change that on a booking by booking basis.

Set it to "automatically reserve a security deposit" even though it won't actually be automatic in this case, and fill out the details. Leave "Security Deposit Reminder" set to "do not send an email reminder" because you'll be sending your own 3 days before arrival.

Once you do that, the security deposit link will be enabled for the booking and you can send it to the guest.

<<Set it to "automatically reserve a security deposit" even though it won't actually be automatic in this case, and fill out the details. Leave "Security Deposit Reminder" set to "do not send an email reminder" because you'll be sending your own 3 days before arrival.>>
If I do that, would it not apply to my direct OR bookings going forward? i do not have sec dep enabled on those because I collect (and then refund) sec dep as non-taxable surcharge. if I enable it, would it not result in having a "double" deposit - one as a "surcharge" and another as CC hold? Thanks

Make the change on the booking Rules, not the property Rules. You'll have to do that for each VRBO booking as it comes in, but that way it'll apply to only that booking, not the rest of the direct bookings etc.

Got it thank you so much!

One more question. I have set this up as described above. However, when i open the form (I have not sent yet), it shows options to be paid by check or "special instructions' - which would be fine for a regular advance payment, but for secdep being reserved 3 days prior to arrival, availability of "check' payment does not make sense. Is there any way to override the rule and make CC or paypal the only options for secdep? TIA

Are you looking at the payment form or the security deposit form? The security deposit form should always only allow credit card or PayPal.

EDIT: I looked up above and the point is to give a payment to get the card and then schedule the security deposit on that. If you want to hide the check and custom instructions on the payment form, go to the booking Rules tab and set the payment days in advance for Check and Custom Instructions to a few hundred so they will never apply. That way they won't show.

FYI, we're currently working on an enhancement for this process that will make the secdep form smarter. Once that's released (due in the next week or so) the secdep form will check the due date and schedule the secdep on the card if it's not due yet -- instead of instantly charging.

Gotcha, will try. This is my 1st experience with secdep, thanks

Resurrecting the topic.
I want to hear from members how use sec dep (CC hold) on the following:

1. Have you ever had to charge from sec dep? If so, was it difficult?
2. If you had traditional damage deposit and switched to sec dep, did you have increase in damages/mess created by renters?
3. If you use sec dep, AND if you take payments by venmo/check/zelle, how do you handle it? Do you male people who paid by check, foe example, send you a check for sec dep or make them use card to do a sec dep hold? What about those who pay by venmo/zelle?
4. If renter paid by paypal, how do u handle sec dep?