Choosing a payment setup

Every booking under a payment policy saves the guest’s card. Your policy decides what, if anything, is charged to it: nothing until a no-show, or a deposit straight away. Pre-orders and add-ons are always their own payment, with their own no-show setting. This guide helps you pick; Deposits & payments is the full reference.

Card on file or Capture

	Card on file	Capture
At booking	Card saved, nothing charged	Deposit charged now
Guest arrives	Nothing charged - they pay their bill as normal	The deposit comes off their bill
Cancels in time	Card released, nothing charged	Deposit refunded in full
Cancels late	Card charged the no-show fee (the guest accepts this to cancel)	Deposit kept
No-show	Card charged the no-show fee, after your chosen delay	Deposit kept
Best for	Most restaurants and bars - low friction, full protection	High-demand nights, large groups, minimum spends

“In time” means inside your cancellation window, for example up to 24 hours before. If your policy doesn’t allow cancelling, guests can’t cancel online, and a deposit is non-refundable.

Card on file

Guest booksCard saved. Nothing charged.

Arrives

Nothing chargedBill paid at the till, pre-orders included.

Cancels in time

Card releasedNothing charged, and the card can’t be charged for this booking.

Cancels late

Fee chargedThe guest accepts the charge to cancel. Pre-orders follow your setting.

No-show

Fee chargedAfter your delay. Pre-orders follow your setting.

If declinedRecorded as not collected.

Capture

Guest booksDeposit charged and card saved. A pre-order is charged as its own payment.

Arrives

Comes off the billThe deposit and any paid pre-order are taken off the bill.

Cancels in time

Refunded in fullThe deposit and pre-order go back to the guest.

Cancels late

Deposit keptThe pre-order is kept, or refunded down to the no-show guarantee, per your setting.

No-show

Deposit keptThe pre-order is kept, or refunded down to the no-show guarantee, per your setting.

Pre-orders and add-ons

Pre-orders & add-ons	What the guest sees	When it’s paid
Pay in venue	“Paid at the venue”	At the till. Nothing online.
Card on file	“Nothing is charged now”	At the till, agreed on the saved card in case of a no-show. Needs Card on file as the table payment.
Capture	“Charged now, taken off your bill”	At booking, as its own payment.

On a no-show or late cancellation, “Pre-orders & add-ons on a no-show” decides:

	Pre-order agreed on the card	Pre-order paid at booking
Capture	Charged with the no-show fee	Kept, and added to what the venue keeps
Release / refund	Not charged - only the fee is	Refunded, but never below the booking’s no-show guarantee

The venue always keeps whichever is more: the no-show guarantee, or the pre-order’s value when “Pre-orders & add-ons on a no-show” is set to Capture - never both added together. See What a no-show or late cancellation keeps for the full rule and a worked example.

When a card is declined

The saved card is declined

The booking is still live (e.g. a pre-order charged after booking)

Re-requested automaticallyThe guest gets a payment request by push, email and text, and can pay online or at the venue.

The booking has ended (a no-show or late cancellation charge)

Recorded as not collectedThe booking’s History shows it was declined, with the reason. It isn’t tried again.

Four worked set-ups

Venue	Policy	What happens
A busy restaurant	Card on file · £20 a head · pre-orders on the card	Guests book in seconds and see “nothing charged”. A party of 4 who don’t show is charged £80, plus any agreed pre-order if the pre-order no-show setting is Capture.
A table-service club	Capture · no table deposit · pre-orders Capture	A guest pre-orders £300 of bottles, charged at booking. With pre-orders on a no-show set to Capture, the £300 works like a no-show guarantee.
A minimum spend	Capture · £100 deposit · pre-orders Capture	The guest pays £100 plus their £60 pre-order, as two payments. Both come off the bill on the night.
Relaxed pre-orders	Card on file · £10 fee · pre-orders Release	A no-show is charged the £10 fee only. The kitchen pre-order isn’t charged, so guests are happy to pre-order early.

Policy changes apply to new bookings. Existing bookings keep the terms the guest agreed to.