What is a virtual card?

A virtual credit card is a temporary, single-use digital payment card generated by a booking channel.

When a traveller books your property through an extranet and chooses to pay online, they pay the channel directly. The channel then creates a dedicated virtual card loaded with the exact authorised booking amount for you to claim your accommodation funds.

How NightsBridge Pay automates your payments

Previously, receiving a virtual card meant logging into each extranet manually, retrieving card numbers, remembering each channel's specific swipe rules, and processing transactions one by one.

With NightsBridge Pay, the entire process is automated in the background:

• Secure storage: When a virtual card booking lands in NightsBridge, we securely store the card details.
• Automatic morning checks: Every morning, our system checks which bookings are due for payment that day.
• Automated swiping: We automatically swipe the card for the authorised amount on the scheduled day.
• Instant confirmation: You receive a confirmation letting you know that the booking has been paid and the card was successfully processed.
• Direct payout: We transfer your funds to your bank account 48 hours after the card is processed.

When are virtual cards charged?

Each booking platform has its own rules regarding when funds become available for deduction:

• Booking.com: Swiped on the Day of Activation (this date varies depending on the booking's specific rate and terms).
• Expedia: Swiped on the guest's Day of Arrival.
• Agoda: Swiped on the guest's Day of Departure.
• Hotelbeds: Swiped on the guest's Day of Departure.

Special timing rules to keep in mind:

• Same-day arrivals: If a guest makes a last-minute booking for arrival today, the virtual card is swiped immediately through NightsBridge Pay (or through your connected gateway). (Note: For same-day bookings or same-day modifications from Booking.com, the card is swiped the day after arrival).
• Stay in the loop: Every morning, we send you an email detailing which payments are being processed for the day. You can also check your individual Booking Notes, which clearly state whether NightsBridge Pay will swipe the card and when.

What fees apply to virtual card processing?

Because virtual cards are issued by international financial institutions, transactions are processed as international payments:

• Processing fee: 4.57% (incl. VAT) on the total transaction amount.
• Bank payout fee: A standard bank transfer fee of R3.00 (ex. VAT) per payout transfer made to your establishment.
• Full financial reconciliation: You can review a complete breakdown of every deduction and payout anytime by going to Payments > Payment recon in your NightsBridge menu.

What happens with cancellations, modifications, or errors?

• If a booking is modified: NightsBridge Pay automatically updates the scheduled payment and processes the card according to the revised stay dates or amounts received from the channel.
• If a booking is cancelled: The automated swipe is immediately removed from our processing queue. Need to claim a cancellation fee? If your cancellation policy allows you to charge for a late cancellation or no-show, you can retrieve the virtual card details directly from the Booking Engine and process the charge manually.
• If a payment fails: If a virtual card fails to process, you can view the card details in your channel extranet and attempt to process it manually. If the card continues to decline, reach out directly to the channel's support team to request a newly issued virtual card

Do you need signed authorisation forms from the guest?

No guest documentation is required!

Because virtual cards are corporate cards issued directly by the booking channel (rather than the guest's personal credit card), you do not need to collect signed credit card authorisation forms, copies of identity documents, or card imprints for these transactions.

How to start accepting virtual cards

Properties are not automatically opted into virtual card payments. If you would like to switch from taking direct guest payments to receiving guaranteed virtual cards, simply reach out to your account representatives at Booking.com, Expedia, or Agoda to request virtual card settlement for your property.