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MANAGEMENT > CORONAVIRUS > V2

Coronavirus Booking Guarantee

For information about bookings placed before 1st October 2020 (bound by version 1 of this guarantee), please see here.

While the coronavirus pandemic continues, one of the challenges we all face is instilling confidence in consumers. Continued uncertainty underlines the need for an extension of our Coronavirus Booking Guarantee, which was hugely successful through summer 2020 in providing guests with confidence to book ahead, while also generating early bookings for our accommodation partners. In our September survey, 95% of those using the scheme said it had worked well for them and very few customers were thought to have abused the scheme to change dates for non-Covid reasons.

About the guarantee: If you opt in to this scheme, customers will be able to book with you directly or via any of our online booking platforms on which you list (coolcamping.com, glampingly.co.uk, coolplaces.co.uk) and you commit to offering all customers the clarity of the following Guarantee Policy:

  • A low deposit of 30% to secure the booking.
  • The balance payment will not be due until 30 days before the holiday
  • No refunds offered to the customer, but flexibility to move bookings until the end of 2021 in the event of Coronavirus restrictions.

Accommodation providers that opt in to this guarantee are clearly highlighted on our booking websites in order to provide maximum clarity for our customers and allow them to navigate our website with greater confidence. Those that agree to this guarantee may also receive additional promotion, as we seek to bring trust and confidence to all consumers.

Please see below for the answers to some of the questions you may have, and please also read the full terms before signing up.


Frequently Asked Questions


Do I have to agree to the Coronavirus Booking Guarantee?

No, this is an optional scheme. The guarantee is designed so that businesses have a better chance of increased bookings from customers who are worried about the uncertainty of being able to travel in 2020/2021. But we understand that many accommodation providers do not wish to change their policies, so there is no obligation to sign up to the scheme.


Does this guarantee apply to all my bookings or just those made via coolcamping.com?

The Coronavirus Booking Guarantee will apply to all of your new bookings from the point that you opt in. If you use Bedful as your primary booking system, then this will also include direct bookings made on your own website.

The guarantee will be promoted on the following Bedful partner websites:

  • coolcamping.com
  • glampingly.co.uk
  • coolplaces.co.uk
  • ilovethiscampsite.co.uk

How can I sign up to offer the guarantee?

Simply opt-in by ticking the box on the new 'COVID-19' tab on your Bedful dashboard.


Can I withdraw from this guarantee at any time?

Yes. You can withdraw from this guarantee at any time by unticking the box found under the 'COVID-19' tab on your Bedful dashboard. Hit SAVE to confirm.

Please note, if you opt out of our guarantee, your previous deposit and balance settings will not automatically be restored. To update these settings, you should go to the Setup > Site > Payments tab, where you can amend your payment schedule details. You should also ensure your cancellation policy and terms match accordingly, on the Setup > Site > Terms tab.

Any bookings made while you were opted in to the scheme will continue to be bound by the terms of the scheme; you cannot retrospectively alter the terms, for example the payment terms.


Does the 30% deposit include commission fees?

Yes. When a customer makes a booking via one of our websites they will pay your 30% deposit and, as usual, any third party website commission fees, a Stripe fee and VAT will be deducted. The remaining money will go directly to your business. If the booking is placed directly on your own website or via your dashboard then, as usual, a Stripe fee and VAT apply but there is no commission charged.


Will you refund your commission in the event of a cancellation?

When a customer makes a booking it will be made clear to them that, in the event of a cancellation, whether by them or, in the case of a lockdown extension, by you, that they will not be entitled to a refund of their 30% deposit. They will instead be entitled to rebook their holiday on alternative available dates up until the end of 2021. Upon making their booking, the customer commits to this.

Please be aware that we are not offering to refund customer's payments under any circumstances and once you have signed up to the Coronavirus Booking Guarantee you, too, have also agreed to this criteria. It is important that both yourselves and our Bedful partnered websites, such as coolcamping.com, are giving the same message to customers.

If you opt in, please support all aspects of the policy fully, enabling us to offer confidence to customers, whilst also protecting all businesses involved. If you do decide to independently offer a customer who has booked with this guarantee their money back, our partner websites will not provide a refund for their commission and your business may then need to cover the cost.


I'm not sure about 30%. Can I choose a different deposit amount?

No, you are not able to alter the deposit amount. The Coronavirus Booking Guarantee is designed to offer a clear and consistent policy for customers so that they can book with complete confidence. By creating a single, clear message for our customers this is designed to increase consumer confidence for the entire camping and glamping industry, benefiting the bookings at your site. If you are not happy with a 30% deposit, please do not opt in to this guarantee.


I'm not sure about 30-day balance payments. Can I choose a different time period?

No, you are not able to amend the balance due date. The Coronavirus Booking Guarantee is designed to offer a clear and consistent policy for customers so that they can book with complete confidence. By creating a single, clear message for our customers this is designed to increase consumer confidence for the entire camping and glamping industry, benefiting the bookings at all sites. If you are not happy with the 30 day period, please do not opt in to this guarantee.


How do I automate 30-day balance payments for bookings?

Once you tick to confirm you are opting in to the scheme, your deposit amount and balance payment settings will be adjusted automatically for any new bookings after that date.

For all applicable bookings, we will automatically email the customer from 3 days before the holiday start date with a link to make the balance payment. If they do not pay, they will be sent a further reminder each day until the balance has been paid. Your business will also be sent a message if the customer has not paid their balance before the 30-day deadline.

Pre-existing bookings

The automatic balance payments settings apply to new bookings only; your previous settings will apply to old bookings.

Existing bookings made with Version 1 of the Guarantee scheme

If you were already enrolled in the scheme prior to 1st October 2020, bookings before that date will continue to be subject to a balance due date of 10 days prior to the holiday start date. The Bedful system will continue to request automated payments on the relevant date for those bookings. You do not need to chnage things manually.


What if a customer does not pay the balance due?

Customers will be sent a reminder that their balance is due 3 days before their holiday start date. If they do not pay, they will be sent a further reminder each day until the balance has been paid. Your business will also be sent a message if the customer has not paid their balance before the 30-day deadline.

If the customer fails to pay their balance 30 days prior to the holiday, it is your responsibility to contact the customer to highlight their breach of contract and offer them a final opportunity to settle the balance. If they decline, you are entitled to cancel that booking and the customer would forfeit the deposit.

Please note, bookings are not automatically cancelled if the balance is not paid.


If lockdown measures are eased, can I take balance payments earlier?

You must adhere to the original terms you offered – that is a legally binding contract with your customer. So you cannot insist balance payments should be settled early. You could offer the customer the option to settle the balance early, but it would be an option rather than a requirement.


What is the ending date for this guarantee?

We currently expect this guarantee to run until 30th September 2021, though it may be extended. We will contact all businesses to let them know when the guarantee is being withdrawn or updated.

Once the scheme is withdrawn or terminated,  bookings that were previously made under the guarantee will continue to be subject to those terms.


Can customers rebook their own dates?

Yes. There is a ‘Customer Rebooking Link’ on the ‘Admin’ tab of each booking. Use this to send customers a link to choose and book new dates themselves, and pay the difference if the new dates cost more. Your seasons and rates must be set up for the appropriate time period/ year for customers to move their booking.

This feature will save you time and is available for bookings made on your own website and with Cool Camping. Bookings from other third-party sales channels like Airbnb should continue to be amended on the original sales channel in the usual way.



What if I am unable to re-book a customer before the end of 2021?

In the unlikely event that no suitable alternative available accommodation can be arranged within the rebooking window, you have the choice to offer one of the following two options to your customer:

  • Alternative dates for the accommodation during an extended period of a further 12 months after the end of the rebooking window.
  • An exceptional refund, with the refunded amount due only from 1st January 2022.

Will I be penalised if I do not offer this guarantee?

No. The Coronavirus Booking Guarantee is designed to improve consumer confidence and increase bookings for all businesses but we understand that it may not be right for you.

We will continue to honour all commitments to your business, including advertising via our partner websites such as coolcamping.com, glampingly.co.uk and coolplaces.co.uk (where applicable). We will still take bookings for all accommodation on our websites, display all accommodation in our search results and promote all businesses on our social media and advertising channels.

Businesses partaking in the Coronavirus Booking Guarantee may find increased opportunities for publicity – such as external media coverage of the guarantee – however, those who do not opt in will continue to be promoted in the usual ways and will not be penalised.


I have more questions about the guarantee. Who can I ask?

If you have further questions about the Coronavirus Booking Guarantee you can contact a member of our support team on enquiries@bedful.com. If you have questions related to coronavirus and your business more widely, you may find our main Coronavirus FAQs For Businesses page useful, which includes information on how to easily pause bookings at your site, how to reduce your site's capacity and information on government restrictions and businesses support.