A notepad by the phone
A guest rings to book two nights. You check the diary, agree the dates, and ask for a card to secure the booking. They read out the long number, the expiry date and the three digits on the back. You write it on the notepad and later copy it into the diary next to their booking, so you can charge the deposit on the card machine when you get a moment.
The notepad stays by the phone. The diary has card numbers in it going back two years. Your part-time helper answers the phone sometimes and does the same. It has always worked, and nobody has ever had a problem.
Then you read something about card security in a newsletter from your card machine provider, and you start to wonder.
Why card details end up on paper
Phone bookings are still common in small guest houses, especially from older guests and returning regulars. The card machine needs the card present or keyed in, and the simplest way to take a card over the phone has always been to write it down.
- The card machine is in the dining room and the phone is in the hall.
- The deposit is charged later, when you have a moment.
- Some guests prefer to pay on arrival but you want a guarantee.
- Nobody told you there was an easier way that did not involve keeping the number.
- The diary is the one place everything lives, so card details go there too.
What holding card details costs you
Card providers have security rules, and keeping full card numbers and security codes on paper generally goes against them. If the diary or notepad is lost, stolen or seen by the wrong person, guests' cards are exposed, and you may be held responsible by your provider. Your card machine provider's own terms are the place to check what applies to you.
It is also slow. Keying card numbers into the machine later is error-prone, and a declined card discovered days later means another awkward phone call.
How we replace it with a payment link
- While the guest is on the phone, you enter the booking in your booking system or calendar as usual.
- A payment link for the deposit, or for a card guarantee without taking money, is created and sent to the guest's mobile by text, or by email, in a couple of taps.
- The guest opens the link while still on the phone, or later, and enters their card details directly into your payment provider, such as Stripe or the online payments service linked to your card machine.
- You see straight away that the payment or guarantee has gone through, and the booking is marked accordingly.
- If the guest has not completed it after a set time, a reminder goes out.
- No card number is ever written down, spoken to anyone but the payment page, or stored in your house.
| Step | Before | With a payment link |
|---|---|---|
| Guest gives card | Read aloud, written on notepad | Typed by the guest into your payment provider |
| Deposit taken | Keyed into the machine later | Taken as the guest completes the link |
| Declined card | Found days later | Known during or straight after the call |
| Card details kept | In the diary for years | Never held by you |
Guests who do not use mobiles or email can still pay on arrival, or pay by bank transfer, depending on your policy. We also help you work out what to do with the old diaries, following your provider's guidance.
The next phone booking
The guest rings, you agree the dates, and you say: 'I'll text you a link to pay the deposit, it'll take a moment.' They open it while you are still talking, pay, and you both hear the confirmation arrive. The notepad by the phone has the guest's name and dates, and nothing else.
Your helper does the same when she answers the phone. The diary stops collecting card numbers, and you stop worrying about the newsletter.
Are card numbers sitting in your diary?
- You or your staff write card numbers down during phone bookings.
- Your diary or notepad contains old card details.
- Deposits are keyed into the card machine later.
- Declined cards are found days after the booking.
- You are not sure what your card provider allows.