Modify Booking

So your customers made a booking and now they have called and need to change it. This is no problem in Xola, from the Purchases tab you can modify a booking by changing arrival dates or times, modify guest count, add charges, refund bookings, and much much more. This article will cover all the items you can modify from the Purchases tab with the booking modification bar.

What's covered in this article:

Changing Arrival Date and/or Time

You've booked a customer, and now they want to change the date or time of their experience. No worries, Xola makes this a swift and easy process! In just a few clicks on the Modifications Banner, you'll be able to change the date and/or time of your customer's experience.

In the Purchases tab, navigate into the customer purchase.
From the Modifications Banner (grey toolbar), click Arrival.
In the Change Arrival window, click the date field for the date picker and select the new date and time. Need a special date and time? Read about Timeslots-on-the-Fly and Booking Past Dates and Time.
Click Change Arrival.
The new arrival date and or time will be reflected under Booking Details.

Note: If a guest was checked in or marked as a no-show the new arrival time in the dashboard will not carry that same status, and that action will need to be re-taken.

By selecting or deselecting the Notify box, you can choose whether you would like to send your customer an email regarding this change.
If there is any difference in price between the new and original date and time, Xola will help you reconcile by automatically creating a balance due or an option to refund excess payment. If you choose not to collect or refund the full amount right away, the booking will contain a green Collect Balance or Refund Excess Payment button.
If you select the Check or Other payment method, this will not initiate a transfer of funds. For example, if you choose the Check option you must still write the customer a check - Xola will not produce this check.

Modifying Guest Count

You've booked a customer, and now they want to change the number of guests in their party. No worries, modifying the number of guests in Xola is a simple process! In just a few clicks on the Modifications Banner you'll be able to update the guest count in a jiffy.

In the Purchases tab, navigate into the customer purchase.
From the Modifications Banner, click Guests.
Use the - and + sign to increase or decrease guest count as needed.
Click Save Changes.
In the next window, if you increase the guest count you have the option of immediately hitting Collect Balance and charging for the additional guests. You can also collect this balance later by hitting Skip. or if you decrease the guest count you have the option of immediately Refund for the subtracted guests. You can also refund later by hitting Skip.
In either case, the adjusted number of guests will be reflected under Booking Details. Any charges or refunds will be reflected under the Payment Summary.

By selecting or unselecting the Notify box, you can choose whether you would like to send your customer an email updating them of this change.
Xola will help you reconcile the difference in the guest count by automatically creating a balance due or an option to refund excess payment. If you've added guests, you'll click the green Collect button under Payment Summary. If you've removed guests, you'll click the green Refund Excess Payment button under Payment Summary.
Per-person coupons, as well as taxes and fees, will adjust to the new number of guests.

Adding a Charge

You've booked a customer, and now you need to add a charge to their booking. No worries, Xola makes this super simple! In just a few clicks on the Modifications Banner, you'll be able to add a charge to a purchase with no hassle.

In the Purchases tab, navigate into the customer purchase.
From the Modifications Banner, click Charge.
In the Amount field, type in the exact monetary amount you would like to charge your customer.
In the Reason field, type in the reason for this charge (tip, damage fee, etc).
Click Add Charge. In the window that appears, select the method of payment, and click the green Collect button. If you choose not to collect the full amount of the charge right away, the booking will reflect a balance or refund due.
You will see the charge reflected under Payment Summary and in the Timeline.

By selecting or unselecting the Notify box, you can choose whether you would like to send your customer an email about this charge.
If you select the Check or Other payment method, this will not initiate a transfer of funds. For example, if you choose the Check option you must still write the customer a check - Xola will not produce this check.
This charge has no effect on the taxes or fees set for this purchase.

Refunding a Booking

When you click the Refund in a customer purchase, Xola will ask you to select from one of the following options:

Reduce booking value and return payment

Return payment only

Change guest quantity

Below details the difference between these three methods of returning payment to a customer, and in which situation you would choose one over the others.

Reduce booking value and return payment

What this does: Reduces the customer's total booking value and sends full or partial payment back to the customer.

When to use: When you need to offer a customer a discount or full refund on their balance or payment. This might be due to something like bad weather conditions or placating an unhappy customer.

For example: Ava charges two tickets for $63 to her credit card for the Bob Dylan tour with Popspots.

At the very last minute the guide calls in sick, and Ava and her husband are already on-site ready for their tour. For this terrible inconvenience, Popspots wants to issue Ava a full refund. In this case Popspots needs to send $63 back to Ava's credit card.

Popspots would the the following actions:

Navigate to Ava's purchase and click the Refund button.
Select Reduce booking value and return payment.
Ensure 63 is populated in the Amount field. If this is a partial refund, type in the amount to be refunded into the box.
Select Ava's credit card as the Method.
Add a reason for the refund in the Comment field.
Click Refund.

Please note that when issuing credit card refunds, you may not refund a customer more than the amount originally charged on their credit card.

Return payment only

What this does: Returns payment to one customer in order to collect that money either in a new form of payment or from another paying customer. Using the Return Payment feature will always open a balance on the purchase for the amount returned.

When to use: To split payment when one customer has for several guests, and those guests would like to pay their share. To allow a customer to switch from a cash payment to putting the balance on a credit card.

For example: Zara charges two tickets for $42 to her credit card for the Sex & The City tour with Popspots. When she and her friend, Ariel, arrive for the tour, Ariel explains that she would like to put the charge for the tour on her card instead. In this case Popspots needs to send $21 back to Zara in order to then collect the $21 from Ariel instead.

Since Zara originally paid for both tickets, Popspots would click Return Payment and type in $21 (the price of Ariel's individual ticket). This will send $21 back to Zara's card and open up a $21 balance on the purchase.

Popspots would then do the following:

Navigate to Zara's purchase and click the Refund button.
Select Return payment only.
Type 21 into the Amount field.
Select Zara's credit card as the Method.
Add a reason for the return of payment in the Comment field.
Click Return Payment.
In the Purchase, click Collect Balance.
In the popup window, select Add a new card and enter in Ariel's credit card details. Popspots could also accept any other form of payment.
Click Collect.

Please note that when returning payment to a credit card, you may not return a customer more than the amount originally charged on their credit card.

Change guest quantity

What this does: Reduces guest count and gives sellers the option to refund the full or partial price of the ticket.

When to use: It's important to reduce guest quantity and not issue a refund when a guest cancels or does not show up as part of a group. This will maintain your proper guest records and allow you the option of refunding in full, in partial, or not at all.

For example: West High School buys 15 tickets at $20 each to the Times Square tour for a field trip. A few days before the tour one student realizes he won't be able to make it - With Popspot's cancellation policy the school is eligible for a 50% partial refund (including taxes and fees). As such, Popspots need to reduce guest count to 14 and refund West High ten dollars.

Popspots would do the following:

Navigate to West High School's purchase and click the Refund button.
Select Reduce guest count.
Use the minus button to bring guest count down to 14.
Click the Refund menu, select Partial, and enter in 10 as the amount to be refunded.
Click Save Changes.
Select West High's credit card as the Method.
Check that Reduce Guest Quantity appears in the Comment field.
Click Return Payment.

Modifying Add Ons

You've booked a customer, and now they want to add or remove an add-on to their purchase. No worries, Xola makes this a swift and easy process! In just a few clicks on the Modifications Banner you'll be able to modify the number of add-ons in a jiffy.

In the Purchases tab, navigate into the customer purchase.
From the Modifications Banner, click Add-ons.
Using the - and + signs next to each add-on, add or remove add-ons to the purchase. The balance will adjust to display the amount to be charged or refunded to the customer.
Click Save Changes. You can settle right away or click Later.
The adjusted number of add-ons and transactional record will be displayed under Payment Summary and in the Timeline.

By selecting or unselecting the Notify box, you can choose whether you would like to send your customer an email updating them of the change in add-ons.
If you've chosen Later and you've added add-ons, you'll click the green Collect button under Payment Summary to settle. If you've removed add-ons, you'll click the green Refund Excess Payment button under Payment Summary to settle.
If you select the Check or Other payment method, this will not initiate a transfer of funds. For example, if you choose the Check option you must still write the customer a check - Xola will not produce this check.

Switch an Experience

You've booked a customer into one experience...and now they want to entirely switch to another! No worries, Xola makes this a swift and easy process! In just a few clicks on the Modifications Banner you'll be able to change a customer from one experience into another with no hassle.

In the Purchases tab, navigate into the customer purchase.
From the Modifications Banner, click on the 3 dots to the right of the Refund button, then click Switch.
On the left side of the window is the customer's current experience, and to the right are all the other listings you have on offer.
Select the listing that the customer would like to switch into. The right side of the window will change to display that experience, the date picker, and the current booking and payment details for this customer purchase.
Select the date and time of the new experience.
Click Save Changes.
The Modifications Banner will show the photo and title of the new experience, and you’ll see a record of the switch in the Timeline as well as any new transactional information under Payment Summary.

Note: If a guest was checked in or marked as a no-show the new arrival time in the dashboard will not carry that same status, and that action will need to be re-taken.

By selecting or unselecting the Notify box, you can choose whether you would like to send your customer an email updating them of this switch.
Xola will help you reconcile any differences in price between the new and original experience by automatically creating a balance due or an option to refund excess payment. If you choose not to collect or refund the full amount right away, the booking will ontain a green Collect Balance or Refund Excess Payment button.
If you select the Check or Other payment method, this will not initiate a transfer of funds. For example, if you choose the Check option you must still write the customer a check - Xola will not produce this check.

Change Experience to Private or Shared

After a shared or private booking has been made, you have the option to switch it to the other type. This option can be found on the Purchases tab, inside of the black action-menu.

In the Purchases tab, navigate into the customer purchase.
From the Modifications Banner, click on the 3 dots to the right of the Refund button, then click on Make Private or Make Shared
On the left side of the window is the customer's current experience, and to the right is the details of the new experience.
Click Save Changes.
You can settle right away or click Later.
The adjustment and transactional record will be displayed under Payment Summary and in the Timeline.

When choosing to switch a booking from shared to private, only events that do not have a booking on them yet will appear as available.
Any pricing differences that have been configured will be applied when changing a booking's type.

Modify Taxes and Fees

You may have customers that are tax-exempt or need the taxes and fee taken off a booking. Removing taxes and fees can only be done on back office bookings, or after a booking is made. Read on below to find out how to remove taxes and fess from a customers booking in a snap.

In the Purchases tab, navigate into the customer purchase.
Under the Payment Summery, you will hit Modify beside the Taxes & Fees.
Once you hit Modify, a pop up will appear with a breakdown of all taxes & fees associated with that booking.
To remove a tax or fee before processing this booking, click the red X. A gray line will strike out the tax or fee line item and it will be removed from the booking total.
Click Confirm and you modifications will be saved.
NOTE: If you have a Partner/Booking fee from Xola, you will not be able to remove this fee. Only taxes & Fees, that you created in Settings will be able to be removed from a booking.

Oops! I need to re-instate one tax or fee, simply click the gray arrow on the line item to reverse the removal. To re-instate all taxes or fees, click "Reset taxes & fees".
If a customer has already paid, then a green Return Excess Payment box will appear to have you return the tax or fee removed back to original payment method. Click Return Excess Payment and you will be walked through the Refund Payment workflow.

Screen_Shot_2020-08-25_at_9.24.05_AM.png

Add or Removing a Code from a Booking

Adding a Code

You've processed a customer booking, and now they want to apply a coupon, affiliate, voucher or gift code. No worries! Xola will help you easily apply this code and adjust the booking's value.

In the Purchases tab, navigate into the customer purchase.
Below the Payment Summary, click Add code. A window will open displaying a drop-down menu and the customer’s payment summary.
Click the drop-down to view all the coupon and affiliate codes for this account, or type in the code to search.
Select the code from the list or if you've typed it in, hit Enter on your keyboard. You'll see the code applied and appearing in the Payment Summary.

Please note: If you add an affiliate code you'll be asked to put in an affiliate deposit. If your affiliate does not take a deposit, type in '0'.

Click Apply Code.
Click the Return Payment button to finalize this transaction. The code will be recorded in the Payment Summary and in the Timeline of the customer purchase.

By selecting or unselecting the Notify box, you can choose whether you would like to send your customer an email updating that the coupon has been applied and the balance adjusted.
If you choose not to issue the refund for the difference right away, the booking will the booking will contain a green Refund Excess Payment button.
If you select the Check or Other payment method, this will not initiate a transfer of funds. For example, if you choose the Check option you must still write the customer a check - Xola will not produce this check.

Remove a Code

Whoops! Maybe you applied a coupon by mistake or entered in the wrong affiliate code. In Xola you can remove a code just as easily as you can add one. Details below!

In the Purchases tab, navigate to the customer purchase.
Locate the code that was applied (coupon or affiliate) under the Payment Summary.
Hover your mouse over the code and click the red X that appears.
You will be asked to confirm that you want to remove this coupon. Click Confirm.
The code will be removed from the customer purchase. If it is a coupon code or an affiliate code with a discount associated, the price will adjust accordingly.

Cancel Booking

When a customer cancels a booking, you can choose to issue a full or partial refund, issue no refund at all, or send the customer store credit.

Please note that when issuing credit card refunds, you may not refund a customer more than the amount originally charged on their credit card.

In the Purchases tab, navigate into the customer purchase.
Below Payment Summary, click Cancel.
Click Confirm to continue with the cancellation.
Enter in the full or partial amount to be refunded in the Amount field. If you are refunding two or more customers on a purchase, keep Automatic Split Refund selected.
Select the Method of payment with which to issue the refund.
Enter in any comments on this refund or cancellation in Comments field.
Click Return Payment.

Cancel Booking Without Refund

In the Purchases tab, navigate into the customer purchase.
Below the Payment Summary, click Cancel.
Click Confirm to continue with the cancellation.
If you do not want to issue a refund, click Skip on the Return Payment screen.
The customer is officially cancelled. If you choose to come back later and issue a refund you may do so by selecting Refund in the Modifications Banner.

Cancel Booking and Issue a Store Credit

For a detailed overview of Xola's Store Credits feature, please click here.

In the Purchases tab, navigate into the customer purchase.
Below Payment Summary, click Cancel.
Click Confirm to continue with the cancellation.
Enter in the full or partial amount to be credited in the Amount field.
Select blue and red store icon for Store Credit.
Enter in any comments on this refund or cancellation in Comments field.
Click Return Payment.

By selecting or deselecting the Notify box, you can choose whether you would like to send your customer an email regarding the Refund.
The cancellation notification will go out depending on the setting under Settings> Notifications.
If you select the Check or Other payment method, this will not initiate a transfer of funds. For example, if you choose the Check option you must still write the customer a check - Xola will not produce this check.