Booking & payment process
How a Casa Co stay is enquired about, agreed, contracted, paid for and closed out — across the guest, the host and Casa Co.
Amelia's review is incorporated in v3.5. Twelve Linear comments from 3 September have been translated into the operating rules and screens below. The original comments and the release response remain in CAS-111.
What changed in v3.5
- Every invitation now sends a personal-email notification that deep-links the guest into their Casa Co profile to view the invitation, invoice and Agreement of Stay.
- The deposit hold is now three calendar days (72 hours). A payment initiated inside the window freezes the hold while it clears, and either the host or Casa Co can extend it with an audit reason.
- Hosts choose one of four cancellation deadlines on the invitation. Refund and forfeiture outcomes now follow that selected policy.
- The guest pays the security bond directly to the host at check-in. Casa Co shows it as a non-payable reference and records condition, receipt and return evidence without receiving the money.
- Payment costs are shown before confirmation. A card-specific fee may only apply before 1 October 2026; after that, card costs cannot be passed back under another label.
Timing assumption to confirm. Amelia's comment said “3 days (36 hours)”. This version treats three days as 72 hours. The processing-safe rule is more important than the arithmetic: initiating payment before expiry keeps the dates held while settlement completes.
Booking process
Thirteen stages. Money, identity and the direct host bond run as separate tracks that reconcile at check-in.
| Stage | Guest | Host | Casa Co | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enquiry submittedFrom any listing page — dates, party size, age range, purpose | Submits | — | Receives |
| 2 | Meeting and verbal agreementOffline, all three parties | Attends | Attends | Coordinates |
| 3 | Invitation builtDates, rates, bond, cleaning and one of four cancellation policies | — | Builds | Can act for host |
| 4 | Profile resolvedExisting profile, or a stub created by the invite | — | Enters email | System |
| 5 | Invitation email sentPersonal-email alert links to the guest's Casa Co profile | Receives | Notified | Copied |
| 6 | Booking pack viewedInvitation, tax invoice and Agreement of Stay in the profile | Views | Sends | Copied |
| 7 | Account claimed, ID uploadedLicence and passport to secure storage | Uploads | Badge only | Holds documents |
| 8 | Agreement signedIncludes selected cancellation policy and direct-bond terms | Signs | Copied | Copied |
| 9 | Deposit initiatedInside the 72-hour hold; clearing payments freeze expiry | Pays | Notified | Notified |
| 10 | Identity verifiedRuns in parallel — does not gate payment | — | — | Reviews |
| 11 | Balance and cleaning paidDue 14 days before check-in; bond is excluded | Pays | Notified | Collects |
| 12 | Condition recorded and bond paidHost records the home; guest pays host directly at check-in | Pays host | Records and receives | Tracks only |
| 13 | Bond returned and booking closedHost returns directly after check-out under the Agreement of Stay | Confirms receipt | Returns and evidences | Tracks dispute |
Payment methods
Payments run through Casa Co's existing Stripe account, connected to Xero. Xero generates and emails the tax invoice with a Pay now button.
| Method | Rate | Invoice 1 $20,037.50 | Invoice 2 $17,850.00 | Total cost | % of the $2,625 fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PayToReal-time, 24/7 | Capped $3.50 incl. GST | $3.50 | $3.50 | $7.00 | 0.3% |
| BECS Direct DebitT+2 business days | Capped $3.50 incl. GST | $3.50 | $3.50 | $7.00 | 0.3% |
| Domestic cardInstant | 1.7% + $0.30, plus GST | $375.03 | $334.13 | $709.16 | 27% |
| International cardInstant | 3.5% + $0.30, plus GST | $771.77 | $687.56 | $1,459.33 | 56% |
Card-cost transition. Until 30 September 2026, a card surcharge must be limited to the verified cost of acceptance and disclosed before payment. From 1 October, Visa, Mastercard, eftpos and American Express introduce no-surcharge rules. Renaming the same card-only charge a “processing fee” does not make it permissible. Casa Co must then absorb the cost, include payment costs in general pricing, offer a genuine non-card discount, or disable card for selected high-value invoices.
PayTo is the default. Seconds to settle, works weekends, $3.50 whatever the amount, and reconciles itself through Stripe into Xero. The 72-hour hold accepts a payment initiation before expiry and stays frozen while BECS or another declared payment clears.
Rates were researched in September 2026 and need verifying against the Casa Co Stripe dashboard. Published pricing changes on 1 October 2026 and again on 1 April 2027 following the RBA interchange reforms.
Transaction rules
Invoicing
| Two invoices | A deposit invoice at booking, and a final invoice before arrival. No instalments, whatever the lead time. |
| Inside 14 days | One invoice for the full amount, due on acceptance. |
| Deposit | 50% of accommodation. Cleaning and bond are excluded from the calculation. |
| Final invoice | Issued 21 days before check-in, due 14 days before. Carries the accommodation balance and cleaning fee only. |
| Booking fee | 7.5% of stay value, charged in full on the deposit invoice, never split, never refunded. |
| Bond reference | Shown as “$5,000 due directly to host at check-in — not payable on this invoice” and excluded from the invoice total. |
| GST | 10% on the booking fee only. Accommodation and cleaning carry none; Casa Co does not collect the bond. |
Holds and deadlines
| Hold created | When the invitation is sent. Dates block on the calendar immediately. |
| Window | Default three calendar days (72 hours), shown as an absolute date and time. |
| Reminders | 48 hours, 24 hours and 6 hours before expiry, to the guest only. |
| Frozen holds | A hold never auto-releases while a payment is in processing or declared. It waits for a person. |
| Expiry | Dates return to the calendar, invoice voids, guest and host both notified. |
| Extension | The host or Casa Co can extend the hold. Every extension records the actor, reason, old expiry and new expiry. |
Cancellation
| Policy selected | The host selects the cancellation deadline when building the invitation. It appears in the Agreement of Stay and booking confirmation. |
| Before deadline | The guest receives a full deposit refund less the non-refundable Casa Co booking fee. |
| After deadline | The deposit is forfeited to the host. Casa Co retains its booking fee; the remaining deposit is paid to the host. |
| After balance paid | No automatic refund. Any refund is negotiated with and approved by the host, then documented against the booking. |
| Bond | Not affected by cancellation unless check-in occurred and the host actually received it. |
| Host option | Final cancellation deadline | Shown to guest |
|---|---|---|
| Forgiving | 14 days before check-in | Invitation, Agreement of Stay, confirmation |
| Standard | 30 days before check-in | Invitation, Agreement of Stay, confirmation |
| Firm but fair | 45 days before check-in | Invitation, Agreement of Stay, confirmation |
| Mr Dependable | 60 days before check-in | Invitation, Agreement of Stay, confirmation |
Legal review remains required. The policy names, forfeiture formula and “no refund after balance” term need to be reflected consistently in both guest and host agreements and reviewed for unfair-contract and penalty risk.
Bond handling
The guest pays the host directly on check-in. Casa Co records the obligation and evidence but never receives, transfers or refunds the bond.
Host records condition
Guest views condition pack
Guest pays host at check-in
Host holds during stay
Host returns after check-out
Both confirm
| Invoice | The amount appears as a non-payable reference only and is excluded from Casa Co's invoice total. |
| Condition evidence | Before check-in, the host uploads date-stamped video or photographs covering as much of the home as reasonably feasible. The guest can view the pack. |
| Paid | By the guest directly to the host on the day of check-in. Both parties confirm amount, method and date in the booking record. |
| Returned | By the host directly to the guest after check-out, as required by the Agreement of Stay. |
| Deductions | Itemised against the pre-arrival condition pack and shared with the guest before any reduced return. |
| Return evidence | The host records amount, date and destination and uploads proof; the guest confirms receipt. |
| Disputes | The platform opens a case and preserves evidence. The Agreement of Stay must state the parties' responsibilities and Casa Co's support or escalation role. |
The control boundary changes. Because Casa Co never holds the bond, it must not describe itself as the payer, recipient or refunding party. The platform should preserve evidence and escalation history without implying it controls the funds.
The evidence sequence. A dated condition pack before check-in establishes the starting state; two-sided confirmation records the direct payment; deduction evidence links back to the condition pack; host proof plus guest confirmation closes the return.
Worked example — Beachside Sanctuary, Brighton
14 nights, 6–20 February 2027, 10 guests. Invitation sent 3 September 2026 — 156 days of lead time.
| Component | Amount | Treatment | Ends up with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation — 14 nights × $2,450 | $34,300.00 | No GST | Host |
| Cleaning fee | $700.00 | No GST | Host |
| Stay value | $35,000.00 | Base for the booking fee | |
| Casa Co booking fee — 7.5% | $2,625.00 | Taxable supply | Casa Co |
| GST on booking fee | $262.50 | 10% of the fee | ATO |
| Security bond | $5,000.00 | Paid separately at check-in | Guest → host → guest |
| Total invoiced and collected by Casa Co | $37,887.50 | GST content $262.50 | |
| Total guest outlay including direct bond | $42,887.50 | Across two separate payment relationships |
| Invoice | Issued | Due | Contains | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CC-2088-D | 3 Sep 2026 | 6 Sep, 5:00pm | Deposit 50%, booking fee, GST | $20,037.50 |
| CC-2088-F | 16 Jan 2027 | 23 Jan 2027 | Balance and cleaning fee | $17,850.00 |
| Bond reference | Shown on both | 6 Feb at check-in | Direct guest-to-host payment; not payable to Casa Co | $5,000.00 |
Weekend-safe hold. The guest has until Sunday 6 September at 5:00pm to initiate payment. If BECS is initiated inside the window, the hold remains frozen until Stripe reports success or failure; settlement does not have to finish before the timer expires.
GuestGuest
G0 · Invitation notification
Personal inboxYou have been invited to stay at Beachside Sanctuary
Hi Sarah,
David has invited you to stay at Beachside Sanctuary from 6–20 February 2027.
Sign in to your Casa Co profile to review the invitation, confirm the selected cancellation policy, view and pay the invoice, and sign the Agreement of Stay.
View invitation in Casa CoThis secure link opens the booking in your existing profile. If you do not yet have an account, it starts account claim and email verification first.
Annotation
- Purpose
- The personal email is a notification and secure deep-link, not the booking record itself.
- Profile destination
- Invitation details, selected cancellation policy, invoice payment and Agreement of Stay all live together in the guest's Casa Co profile.
- Security
- The email never contains identity documents or full payment information; an unclaimed account must verify the invited email before revealing booking details.
G1 · Xero invoice with Pay now
InboxCasa Co Pty Ltd — Invoice CC-2088-D
Sent from Xero on behalf of Casa Co · to sarah.kent@email.com, amelia@casaco.com.au
Your dates are held until Sunday 6 September, 5:00pm. Start payment before then; the hold remains in place while an initiated payment clears.
| Accommodation14 nights × $2,450 · no GST | $34,300.00 |
| Less balance on CC-2088-FDue 23 January 2027 | −$17,150.00 |
| Casa Co booking fee 7.5%Non-refundable | $2,625.00 |
| GST on booking fee | $262.50 |
| Amount due | $20,037.50 |
PayTo is the fastest option and works on weekends. Any permitted payment-method fee is shown before confirmation; from 1 October 2026 no card surcharge applies.
Annotation
- Amount
- $20,037.50 — deposit $17,150.00, fee $2,625.00, GST $262.50
- Generated by
- Xero, created over the API by the platform. Invoice number, PDF, tax invoice wording and email all come from Xero.
- Methods
- PayTo, BECS, card and wallets, all behind the Pay now button via Stripe.
- Rules applied
- Casa Co is copied on every invoice, as on the original invitation pack.
- The three-day acceptance deadline and “payment initiated” rule are stated together.
- The notification email deep-links here from the guest's Casa Co profile.
- The negative line makes the 50% deposit self-evident and carries the second invoice's date.
- Cost to Casa Co
- $3.50 by PayTo · about $375 by domestic card
G2 · Stripe checkout
checkout.stripe.comCasa Co Pty Ltd · CC-2088-D
Pay Casa Co Pty Ltd
$20,037.50
| Invoice CC-2088-DBeachside Sanctuary · 6–20 Feb 2027 | $20,037.50 |
Payment method
Recommended · instant, works weekends · no added feePayTo · total $20,037.50
Bank debit · 2 business days · hold stays frozen while clearingBECS Direct Debit · total $20,037.50
Before 1 Oct only · verified cost-based surcharge shown in totalCard · estimated total $20,412.53
From 1 Oct · no card surcharge; availability depends on Casa Co's value thresholdCard · total $20,037.50 or unavailable
Secured by Stripe. Casa Co never sees or stores payment details.
Annotation
- Pre-filled
- Amount, currency and invoice reference come from Xero, so the guest cannot mistype a reference — the largest single cause of unmatched payments.
- Rules applied
- Every option shows the final amount before the guest confirms it.
- Until 30 September, any card surcharge is limited to verified acceptance cost. From 1 October, card is either surcharge-free or unavailable for that invoice.
- Card details never reach Casa Co, Xero or the platform.
- Live issue
- PayTo agreements carry limits set in the guest's banking app. A five-figure payment may need the guest to raise theirs first.
G3 · Confirmed
casaco.com.au/bookings/CC-2088
Payment received. Your booking is confirmed. 6–20 February 2027, Beachside Sanctuary.
| CC-2088-DPaid 5 Sep by PayTo | $20,037.50 |
Still to come
| Accommodation balance | $17,150.00 |
| Cleaning fee | $700.00 |
| Invoiced 16 Jan, due 23 JanAccommodation balance + cleaning only | $17,850.00 |
| Security bond — pay host directly at check-inReference only; not on either Casa Co invoice | $5,000.00 |
Set up now, pay in January
Authorise the January payment against the same account and it will be collected automatically on the due date. You'll be notified before it happens and can cancel any time.
Identity pending. Upload your licence and passport to complete your profile.
Annotation
- Trigger
- Xero webhook on invoice paid. No human action required on the Stripe path.
- Rules applied
- The selected cancellation policy and deadline appear on this confirmation and in the Agreement of Stay.
- The bond is a separate guest-to-host payment due at check-in, not part of the January invoice.
- Identity verification runs separately and does not gate payment or confirmation.
- The opportunity
- An authorised PayTo mandate turns the January invoice from a payment the guest has to remember into one that collects itself — the difference between the highest collection risk in the flow and a non-event.
G4 · Confirm the bond came back
casaco.com.au/bookings/CC-2088/bond
Your host has returned your bond. Please confirm it has landed.
| Bond paid | $5,000.00 |
| DeductionsNone claimed | $0.00 |
| Returned by David Mercer, 24 Feb | $5,000.00 |
| Sent to the account ending 4471 | Receipt attached |
If it hasn't arrived, tell us and Casa Co will follow it up with your host.
Annotation
- Amount
- $5,000.00 less any adjudicated deduction
- Method
- Host-to-guest bank transfer. Casa Co is not in this payment leg.
- Rules applied
- The host initiates the return after check-out under the deadline recorded in the Agreement of Stay.
- Guest confirmation is required to close the booking. The host's uploaded receipt alone is not enough.
- "Not received" opens a case for Casa Co and preserves both parties' evidence.
- Why it matters
- This is the second half of the evidence. A receipt can be edited, be for the wrong amount, or record a transfer later reversed — the guest saying the money landed is the only thing that actually proves it did.
HostHost
H1 · Invite a guest — the money panel
Host portalInvite a guest · Beachside Sanctuary
You set these
Check-in6 Feb 2027
Check-out20 Feb 2027
Nightly rate$2,450
Cleaning fee$700
Security bond$5,000
Guests10
Cancellation policyStandard — full refund less booking fee until 30 days before check-in
Deposit window3 days — expires 6 Sep, 5:00pm
A payment initiated before expiry freezes the hold while it clears. You or Casa Co can extend the deadline with a reason.
Casa Co calculates these
| Stay valueAccommodation + cleaning | $35,000.00 |
| Casa Co booking fee 7.5%Charged to the guest | $2,625.00 |
| GST on fee | $262.50 |
| Your payout after check-out | $35,000.00 |
| Bond you'll hold and return | $5,000.00 |
Two Xero invoices
CC-2088-D · 6 Sep · $20,037.50
CC-2088-F · 23 Jan · $17,850.00
Bond reference · $5,000 direct to you at check-in
CC-2088-D · 6 Sep · $20,037.50
CC-2088-F · 23 Jan · $17,850.00
Bond reference · $5,000 direct to you at check-in
Annotation
- Host receives
- $35,000.00 payout from Casa Co, plus a separate $5,000.00 bond directly from the guest at check-in
- Casa Co revenue
- $2,625.00 plus GST, less about $7.00 of Stripe cost on the PayTo path
- Rules applied
- The chosen cancellation policy appears in the invitation, confirmation and Agreement of Stay.
- The invoice schedule is derived from the dates. The host cannot change the split.
- The bond is shown separately from the payout so it is never mistaken for income.
- The 72-hour hold tracks initiation rather than requiring slower rails to settle inside the timer.
H2 · Record condition and receive the bond
Host portalBooking CC-2088 · Check-in readiness
Pre-arrival condition pack
Upload date-stamped video and photographs
Cover as much of the home as reasonably feasible before the guest arrives
Cover as much of the home as reasonably feasible before the guest arrives
Recorded at6 Feb 2027 · 9:15am
Direct bond payment
| Due from guest at check-in | $5,000.00 |
| Casa Co invoice treatment | Reference only |
Payment method and referenceBank transfer · CASACO-2088-BOND
The guest is asked to confirm the same direct payment. Casa Co records the evidence but never receives these funds.
Annotation
- Sequence
- The condition pack is completed and shared before the host confirms receipt of the direct bond.
- Evidence
- Capture timestamps, uploader identity and immutable originals. The guest can view the pack at check-in and raise an immediate discrepancy.
- Control boundary
- Casa Co records confirmations and evidence only; no bond ledger or outbound Casa Co transfer is created.
H3 · Return the bond
Host portalBooking CC-2088 · Bond return due
Sarah Kent checked out on 20 February. Return the bond directly under the Agreement of Stay and upload the transfer evidence.
Amount to return
| Bond held | $5,000.00 |
| Deduction claimedOptional — evidence required | $0.00 |
| Return to guest | $5,000.00 |
SEND TO
S J Kent · BSB 000-000 · Acct ••••4471
The account the guest paid from.
S J Kent · BSB 000-000 · Acct ••••4471
The account the guest paid from.
Upload proof of transfer
Drop your bank receipt here
PDF or transaction listing · must show amount, date and destination
PDF or transaction listing · must show amount, date and destination
Amount sent$5,000.00
Date sent24 Feb 2027
Bank referenceFrom your receipt
Casa Co records the evidence and asks the guest to confirm receipt. Any non-receipt or deduction dispute opens a case.
Annotation
- Amount
- $5,000.00 less any deduction the host has evidenced and Casa Co has approved
- Method
- Host's own bank transfer to the guest. The platform records it; it does not move the money.
- Rules applied
- Initiated after check-out under the exact deadline stated in the Agreement of Stay.
- The destination shown is the account the guest paid from — hosts should not accept a redirection request by email.
- Amount, date and reference are typed as well as uploaded, so a mismatch with the receipt is detectable.
- A deduction requires itemised evidence and Casa Co approval before the remainder goes back.
- Reminders at check-out, day 3 and day 6. Escalation at day 7.
- Why evidence matters
- The money never enters Casa Co's account, so the booking record needs the host's proof, the guest's confirmation and the original condition pack to support any dispute.
H4 · Payout statement
Host portalPayout · 27 February 2027
| Accommodation14 nights × $2,450 · 6–20 Feb 2027 | $34,300.00 |
| Cleaning fee | $700.00 |
| Paid by EFT 27 February 2027 | $35,000.00 |
| Direct bond received at check-in and returned 24 Feb — evidence recorded | $5,000.00 |
| Casa Co booking fee — charged to the guest, not deducted from you | $2,625.00 |
| Payment processing borne by Casa Co | $7.00 |
Annotation
- Amount
- $35,000.00 by EFT, raised as a bill in Xero
- Released
- Under the host payout schedule. Bond tracking is shown for context but is not a Casa Co payment leg.
- Rules applied
- The bond appears as a verified pass-through, never as income.
- Host payouts remain outbound EFT with preparer-and-authoriser separation.
- Showing the processing cost makes the case for PayTo visible to the host too.
Casa CoCasa Co
C1 · Holds and deadlines
Casa Co adminHolds · 1 expiring today
| Booking | Property | Due now | Expires | Method | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CC-2088 | Beachside Sanctuary | $20,037.50 | 6 Sep, 5:00pm30 hours | — | Unpaid |
| CC-2091 | Sorrento spa house | $4,200.00 | 7 Sep, 2:00pm | BECSProcessing | Clearing |
| CC-2094 | The Iconic | $3,100.00 | — | PayTo | Paid |
Annotation
- Purpose
- Shows what is at risk of being released today. PayTo and card confirm themselves, so most rows resolve without anyone touching them.
- Rules applied
- A hold with a payment in processing never auto-releases.
- Sorted by expiry, not value.
- The host or Casa Co can extend. The actor, reason and before/after expiry are retained in the audit trail.
C2 · Payment exceptions
Casa Co adminExceptions · 3 open
| Booking | Issue | Amount | Source | Check-in | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CC-2038 | BECS failedInsufficient funds, 3 days after acceptance | $4,180.00 | Stripe | 12 Sep9 days | Re-invoice |
| CC-2071 | Card disputeChargeback on a stay completed in July | $3,900.00 | Stripe | Past | Respond |
| CC-2083 | OverpaidDuplicate PayTo | +$3,200.00 | Stripe | 2 Oct | Refund |
Annotation
- Failed BECS
- The genuinely new risk. A booking can confirm on Monday and un-confirm on Thursday, with the calendar already updated. Needs the dates re-held and the guest re-invoiced on PayTo.
- Card dispute
- A chargeback can arrive months after check-out. Bank rails cannot be charged back — another argument for steering high-value bookings to PayTo.
- Overpayment
- Refunded through Stripe against the original payment. No outbound EFT, no authorisation queue.
- Rules applied
- Exceptions never auto-close, and a booking with one open cannot reach fully paid.
- A failure inside 14 days of check-in escalates immediately rather than entering the reminder cycle.
C3 · Invoices and collections
Casa Co adminInvoices · Xero
| Invoice | Guest | Amount | Due | Check-in | Xero | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CC-2088-D | S. Kent | $20,037.50 | 6 Sep | 6 Feb | Sent | Unpaid |
| CC-2088-F | S. Kent | $17,850.00 | 23 Jan | 6 Feb | Scheduled 16 Jan | Auto-pay set |
| CC-2038-F | R. Alvarez | $4,180.00 | 29 Aug | 12 Sep9 days | Sent | Failed |
Annotation
- Invoice creation
- Both invoices are posted to Xero at booking. The final one is created as a draft and released on its scheduled date, so amounts are locked in from the start.
- Reminders
- Xero's automated reminders handle the routine chase. This screen is for the ones needing a decision.
- Rules applied
- Sorted by days to check-in, not amount or days overdue.
- The host is notified before a booking is cancelled for non-payment, never after.
- An auto-pay mandate removes the largest collection risk in the flow.
- Amount at risk
- $17,850.00 on Brighton, falling due five months after anything else happened. The $5,000 bond is outside Casa Co collections.
C4 · Direct bond evidence and disputes
Casa Co adminDirect bonds · evidence and exceptions
| Booking | Host | Bond | Condition pack | Paid direct | Return | Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CC-2088 | D. Mercer | $5,000.00 | Published | Both confirmed | Guest awaiting | None |
| CC-2061 | K. Bell | $2,500.00 | Published | Confirmed | No evidence | Open |
| CC-2055 | A. Rao | $1,500.00 | Incomplete | Confirmed | $1,200 sent | Deduction |
| CC-2049 | D. Mercer | $5,000.00 | Published | Confirmed | Both confirmed | Closed |
Annotation
- Purpose
- Tracks a direct guest-to-host obligation without putting the bond through Casa Co's bank account or ledger.
- Evidence chain
- Condition pack, two-sided payment confirmation, host return proof and guest receipt confirmation remain linked to the booking.
- Rules applied
- Exceptions are sorted first: missing condition evidence, non-receipt, amount mismatch or disputed deduction.
- The typed amount is checked against the bond figure — a mismatch flags automatically rather than relying on someone reading the PDF closely.
- Casa Co records and escalates; it does not represent that it can refund funds it never received.
- A guest reporting non-receipt opens a case regardless of what the host uploaded.
- Amelia's daily job
- Work only exception rows. Normal direct payments and returns close through two-sided confirmations.
C5 · Outbound payments
Casa Co adminOutbound · 2 awaiting authorisation
| Type | Booking | To | Amount | Timing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host payout | CC-2088 | D. Mercer | $35,000.00 | After check-outUnder payout schedule | Authorise |
| Overpayment refund | CC-2083 | K. Bell | $3,200.00 | Stripe refundOriginal method | Automatic |
Only EFT rows need a second pair of eyes. Stripe refunds return to the original method and cannot be redirected.
Annotation
- What v3.5 removes
- Casa Co no longer creates or authorises an outbound bond transfer. The guest pays the host directly at check-in.
- Rules applied
- Preparer and authoriser must differ above an agreed threshold, on EFT rows only.
- Destination accounts are those already on file, not entered fresh at payment time.
- Every outbound payment carries a booking reference into Xero.
- Remaining exposure
- Host payouts remain Casa Co's largest manual outbound amount. Direct bonds are visible in the booking record but never enter this authorisation queue.
Decisions incorporated from Amelia
| Area | Confirmed operating rule in v3.5 |
|---|---|
| Invitation | Personal-email alert deep-links into the guest profile for invitation, invoice and Agreement of Stay. |
| Holds | Three-day default; payment initiation freezes expiry while clearing; hosts and Casa Co can extend with audit history. |
| Cancellation | Host selects 14, 30, 45 or 60 days; before deadline refund deposit less booking fee; after deadline deposit goes to host less Casa Co fee; after balance, refund only by host agreement. |
| Bond | Guest pays host directly at check-in; reference only on Casa Co invoice; host records pre-arrival condition and returns the bond after check-out. |
Decisions remaining
Eighteen calls remain after incorporating Amelia's review. Blocking commercial, accounting and legal choices stay visible rather than being guessed in the interface.
Decision
Owner
Priority
D1
Are the Stripe account and Xero organisation both set to Australia?Cannot be changed after connection. The only remedy is disconnecting and starting again.
Evan
Blocking
D2
From 1 October, above what amount are card payments unavailable?A card-only “processing fee” cannot replace the banned surcharge. Choose a threshold, absorb the cost, or change general pricing.
Evan
Blocking
D4
Which Xero account do Stripe fees post to?Xero nominates a default that is frequently wrong.
Accountant
Blocking
D5
Do we offer auto-pay on the final invoice?A mandate at deposit removes the largest collection risk in the flow.
Evan
Before Feb
D6
What happens when a BECS debit fails after confirmation?A booking can confirm Monday and un-confirm Thursday.
Evan, Amelia
Before Feb
D8
Where do guest funds sit between payment and payout?Whether a statutory trust account applies is a legal characterisation, not a preference.
Accountant, legal
Before Feb
D9
When does the host get paid?After check-out means six months between booking and payment on Brighton.
Evan, host
Before Feb
D10
Does a flat deposit forfeiture survive unfair contract terms review?A forfeiture must be a genuine pre-estimate of loss, not a penalty.
Legal
Before Feb
D11
Do we keep the direct bank transfer fallback?It is the only reason anyone still reads a bank statement.
Evan
Before Feb
D12
What happens if the final invoice is unpaid at check-in?No cut-off currently cancels the booking.
Evan, Amelia
Before Feb
D13
What are the actual Stripe rates on the Casa Co account?Published pricing moves twice in the next seven months.
Evan
Before Feb
D15
What happens if identity is never verified?Escalation exists; the outcome behind it does not.
Evan
Before Feb
D16
Who reads the bank and who covers them, if the transfer fallback stays?
Amelia
Before Feb
D17
What is the short-payment write-off threshold?
Evan
Before Feb
D18
Who authorises outbound host payouts, and above what amount?
Evan
Before Feb
D22
What support or escalation role does Casa Co take if a host doesn't return a direct bond?The Agreement of Stay must not imply that Casa Co can refund money it never received.
Evan, legal
Before Feb
D24
Who verifies the uploaded evidence, and what makes it acceptable?A PDF can be edited, be for a different amount, or record a transfer later reversed.
Amelia
Before Feb
D14
Is the 7.5% base accommodation only, or accommodation plus cleaning?$2,625.00 versus $2,572.50 on Brighton.
Evan
Later
Questions for Amelia
These affect how the process actually runs, and nobody else can answer them.
- Enquiry volume. Roughly how many enquiries a week, and how many convert? It decides whether the enquiry inbox needs to be a proper queue in version one or can wait.
- The three-day window. Please confirm whether “3 days (36 hours)” means 72 calendar hours, 36 hours, or three business days. This version uses 72 calendar hours and freezes the hold after payment initiation.
- Card payments. Have guests expected to pay by card, and at what sort of amounts? This decides D2.
- Chasing. Who chases a late balance today, and what does that look like? Xero can send reminders automatically — worth knowing what they'd be replacing.
- Cancellations. How many have there been, and how were they handled? The forfeiture rules here are new and should match what already works.
- Bonds. How are they handled today, and have there ever been problems getting one back to a guest? The whole bond section rests on hosts returning them promptly.
- Anything above that isn't how it actually happens. This was reconstructed from Evan's notes. Corrections are more useful than agreement.