Like many website booking systems, Owners Websites’ system can be configured to accept instant bookings (where the guest pays online using a card), or offline (where the guest completes a booking form but pays later by BACS)
Rather inexplicably, many Owners favour the offline booking option and the manual payment collection process that comes with it. They like to be able to ‘vet’ the guest before booking even though they are perfectly happy to accept unvetted bookings from VRBO /Airbnb etc. They don’t seem to mind that at any point over the time it takes conversing with the prospective guest, that guest can change their mind and go elsewhere.
These days guests expect instant booking as that is the service they are accustomed to receiving from the online agencies. Many guests wish to commit at the time of enquiry to the booking so they can make other plans at the same time. They may not want to engage in an protracted email conversation with the owner before their booking is confirmed.
