Normally you have one primary guest that rents your property, handles all payments, and so on. But occasionally you have a group that wants to split the payments between several different credit cards.
OwnerRez does not support this automatically. However, it is possible to make it happen.
These instructions only apply to bookings where you control the guest payments. Many channel bookings (e.g. Airbnb) keep all credit card and payment information themselves for bookings made using their channel. These instructions do not apply to bookings of this sort; you'd have to work with the channel to arrange a split payment.
1. Make A Booking
OwnerRez does not have the ability to collect split payments for a quote, because - well, what do we do when one person paid and the second hasn't? Is it still a quote (but money was paid on it?) Or is it a booking (still owing money?)
So before any split payments can be made, it must be a booking, not a quote. Have the first guest complete the booking process, make their payment, and sign the rental agreement. This creates a finalized booking in OwnerRez.
If the cost split is such that your normal rules would require the first guest to overpay, you can adjust the required amount in the quote before they book.
Example: Your regular terms are 50% upfront, and 50% 30 days before arrival. Your guest wants to split the bill 3 ways.
Solution: Create a quote for them. Under the Quote's Rules tab, change the First Payment rule to be 33% required up front, instead of 50%.
2. Send Payment Request
Once the booking has been finalized as a real booking, now you can get payments from the other guests. Go into the Booking, Transactions tab. Look for the Request button dropdown, and select Request Payment:
This brings up a screen with several options. You do not want the first option "Whatever is due at the moment". But either of the other two may be appropriate. Note that it is a specific amount, not a percentage.
Click "Compose Email." Be sure to change the TO name and email address, to the name and email address of the next guest.
Alternatively, the email can go to the original guest, who can forward it on to their buddies.
3. Repeat As Needed
However many splits you have, you can send multiple request emails. Just repeat Step #2 above as many times as required.
4. Future Scheduling
Once a guest has made a payment, their credit card information is stored by OwnerRez. This allows you to use it again, for scheduling future payments or security deposits.
By default, the security deposit will be scheduled against the first guest's credit card, although this can be changed.
Example: A guest wants a 2-way split. But they are making their reservation 6 months in advance, and want to collectively pay half now and half 30 days in advance.
Solution: Change the Quote Rule First Payment, as described in Step #1 above, to 25%. (That's half of the normal 50%.)
Once they've paid and a Booking has been created, send a payment request for 25% to the second guest, as described in Step #2 above.
Then once both have paid, schedule an additional 25% payment for guest #2 31 days prior to arrival.
There is an automatic schedule of a Remaining Balance payment for guest #1, 30 days prior to arrival - which by then, should be the 25% that's left after all the other payments have been collected.