30-day holds, approved by Stripe.
Stripe normally keeps longer holds for accounts on its Interchange-Plus pricing. The accounts UpMarket hosts connect get them without it.
Security deposits and tourist tax, automated.
UpMarket takes the security deposit and the tourist tax during online check-in, as a card hold, a charge or a card on file. Through our arrangement with Stripe a card hold lasts 30 days instead of seven, and it is lifted automatically after checkout.
- 30-day card holds, approved by Stripe
- Hold, charge or card on file
- Door code sent only after payment
On your own Stripe account
Sofia KellerApartment 3B · 2–12 Jun · 2 guests
WhatsApp
Hi Sofia. Your stay starts on 2 June. Complete your online check-in before you arrive with this link.
UpMarket · 7 days before
Deposit · €300 held on card
Tourist tax · €28.00 paid
All set, Sofia. Your door code for apartment 3B is ••••#. It works from 4 pm.
UpMarket · 24 h before
Sent on WhatsApp
Deposit held · €300Held for the whole stay
The problem
A card hold lasts seven days. The stay lasts ten.
A standard hold on a guest's card lapses after about a week. Past that, someone has to remember to place it again, collect the tourist tax in cash at the door and release every deposit by hand after checkout. Every booking, the same follow-up.
10:42
Friday · changeover day
Deposit hold lapsed · Apt 3BNight 8 of 10. No deposit in place.now
WhatsApp · Villa SolHi, when do I get my deposit back?6 min
Booking.com · Loft 12Do we pay the city tax in cash on arrival?25 min
Tourist tax unpaid4 of today's arrivals have not paid1 h
Cleaning team · Apt 5Broken lamp. The deposit went back yesterday.2 h
Deposit methods
Three ways to take a security deposit: hold, charge or card on file.
A security deposit, also called a damage deposit, is an amount set aside on or taken from the guest's card to cover damage, and returned after checkout. UpMarket, the guest-operations platform for vacation rentals and hotels, takes it in one of three ways. You choose per property, and UpMarket shows which method it recommends for your Stripe account. The cards show sample data.
Card hold: set aside, not taken
Also called a pre-authorisation. It puts a temporary hold on the guest's card: no money changes hands, the amount is set aside from the guest's available balance for the stay and lifted automatically after checkout. If there is damage, you keep part or all of it. Best for higher-value stays where you want protection without taking the money.
Card holdTemporary hold
- Guest's card
- €300 set aside, not taken
- During the stay
- Stays in place for 30 days
- After checkout
- Lifted automatically
- If damage
- Keep part or all of it
- Best for
- Higher-value staysRecommended for you
Charge at check-in: charged, then refunded
Also called a refundable deposit. It charges the full deposit when the guest checks in online and refunds it after checkout if there is no damage. A real charge leaves the guest's account and the refund takes a few days to arrive, but it never lapses and works with any card. Best when you want the money guaranteed and in hand.
Charge at check-inCharged, then refunded
- Guest's card
- €300 charged
- During the stay
- Nothing to renew
- After checkout
- Refunded automatically
- If damage
- Refund part, keep the rest
- Best for
- Money guaranteed, in hand
Card on file: saved, not charged
It saves the guest's card securely and holds or charges nothing up front, so the guest barely notices. You charge it later only if there is damage to claim, up to the amount the guest agreed to, and a card that is never charged is removed. Best for trusted or repeat guests and the smoothest possible check-in.
Card on fileSaved, not charged
- Guest's card
- Saved, nothing taken
- During the stay
- Nothing held
- After checkout
- Card removed if unused
- If damage
- Charge up to €300
- Best for
- Repeat guests
30-day holds, by arrangement with Stripe
A standard card hold lasts seven days, and Stripe normally keeps longer ones for accounts on its Interchange-Plus pricing. Stripe has approved them for the accounts UpMarket hosts connect, so every card hold stays in place for 30 days without touching the guest's card again. On stays longer than that, it is renewed automatically.
Card hold · how long it lastsApproved by Stripe
- Standard hold
- 7 days
- With UpMarket
- 30 daysExtended
- Your pricing
- No Interchange-Plus needed
- Guest's card
- Held once, not touched again
- Longer stays
- Renewed automatically
How it works
How deposits and tourist tax are collected, step by step.
Tourist tax, also called city tax, is a charge per person and night that the property collects for the local authority. UpMarket collects it together with the security deposit, during online check-in, before the guest arrives. This is the flow, from your settings to the export.
1. You set the rules once
Set the deposit amount and the method for one property or a group, the number of days after checkout before it goes back, and the booking portals to skip. Enter your tourist tax rate and rules the same way.
Deposit rules · Apartment 3BSet by you
- Method
- Card hold
- Amount
- €300.00
- Release
- 1 day after checkout
- Damage check
- 48 h grace period
- Skipped for
- Booking.comPortal rule
2. The guest pays during online check-in
The check-in link goes out by email or WhatsApp seven days before arrival, with a reminder two days before by default. In it the guest pays the tourist tax and adds a card for the deposit, in Stripe's payment form. Check-in cannot finish until both are settled or you waive them.
Online check-in · Apartment 3BPaid by the guest
- Security depositHeld on the card€300.00
- Tourist tax2 adults × 7 nights · paid€28.00
- Check-in2 of 2 guests registeredComplete
3. The door code waits for the payment
If you use smart locks, the access code is sent 24 hours before arrival by default, and only once check-in is complete and payments are made. A guest who has not paid has no code. You can turn this off for a property.
Marco RossiLoft 12 · arriving tomorrow
WhatsApp
Hi, can I have the door code for tomorrow?
Hi Marco. The code is sent once check-in is complete. The deposit and the tourist tax are still open: you can finish with this link.
UpMarket · 18:02
Deposit held · tourist tax paid
Thanks, Marco. Your code for Loft 12 is ••••#. It works from 4 pm tomorrow.
UpMarket · 18:09
4. The hold lasts the whole stay
A card hold stays in place for 30 days, so most stays never need a renewal. When a stay runs longer, UpMarket places a new hold before the old one runs out, releases the old one and tells the guest. If the card is declined it retries, up to five times, and emails you the reason.
Deposit · Apartment 3B · 10 nightsAutomatic
- Hold placed27 May · at online check-in€300.00
- Valid for30 days · until 26 JunExtended
- RenewalNot needed for this stay
- Longer staysNew hold placed before the old one lapsesAutomatic
5. After checkout, the deposit goes back on its own
A hold is lifted, and a charged deposit refunded, automatically one day after checkout by default; you choose the number of days. If your team has not yet confirmed there is no damage, that waits a further 48 hours by default. If something is broken, keep part or all of the deposit. The guest gets a message when the deposit is released.
After checkout · Apartment 3BAutomatic
- Checkout12 Jun
- No damage confirmedBy your team · 12 JunConfirmed
- Deposit released13 Jun · 1 day after checkout€300.00
- Guest notifiedEmail and WhatsAppSent
6. Every payment has a receipt and a line in the export
The guest gets a receipt for the deposit and for the tourist tax. Your team exports deposits to CSV with method, status, amounts and expiry, and tourist tax with the amounts charged, paid, refunded and outstanding. A reconciliation job compares every deposit with Stripe and repairs any difference.
Export · JuneCSV
- Deposits
- 42 held · €12,600.00
- Released
- 40
- Kept for damage
- 2 · €170.00
- Tourist tax
- €1,932.00 collected
- Outstanding
- €0.00Matches Stripe
Want to see your own deposit rules running?
Bring one property and your current deposit and tourist tax rules. We set them up in the demo.
For your team
What changes for your team.
Most stays need nothing from you. For the rest, your team has these tools.
Every deposit's status at a glance
Each deposit shows whether its hold is live, at risk or inactive, so you see a problem before the guest checks out.
Deposits · this weekChecked against Stripe
- Sofia KellerApartment 3B · €300 · hold runs to 13 JunLive
- Marco RossiLoft 12 · €250 · renewal declinedAt risk
- Anna NovakVilla Sol · €500 · released 9 JunReleased
- James ReidApartment 5 · €300 · €85 keptClosed
A declined renewal reaches you with the reason
When a card is declined on renewal, the deposit shows “Authorized · action needed” and you get an email that says why: insufficient funds, card limit, an unusable card or a decline. If the renewal fails for good, the guest is told as well.
Alert · Renewal declinedBy email
- Booking
- Loft 12 · Marco Rossi
- Deposit
- €250.00
- Reason
- Insufficient fundsDeclined
- Status
- Authorized · action needed
Keep part of a deposit for damage
Keep part or all of a hold, or refund part of a charged deposit and keep the rest. The guest gets a message when the deposit is closed.
Deposit · Apartment 5Closed by your team
- Deposit heldOn the guest's card€300.00
- Kept for damageBroken lamp€85.00
- Released to the guestThe rest of the hold€215.00
Deposit questions answered by the AI concierge
“When do I get my deposit back?” UpMarket's AI concierge answers from the guest's own booking, in their language, at any hour: whether the deposit is a hold or a charge, and when it is released. Your team only gets what needs a person.
Anna NovakVilla Sol · checked out today
WhatsApp
Hi! When do I get my deposit back?
21:14
Hi Anna. Your €500 deposit is a hold on your card, not a charge. It is released automatically tomorrow, one day after checkout.
UpMarket · 21:14
Answered from the booking
The integration
Connected to your Stripe account, your PMS and your locks.
Card payments run on Stripe, on the account you connect, in 16 currencies. Bookings arrive from PMSs such as Avantio, Icnea, KrossBooking, Cloudbeds and WuBook, among others. Your PMS stays in charge: UpMarket never touches rates or availability.
| Data | Direction | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Reservations | From your PMS | New and changed bookings arrive with their dates, guests and booking portal, which your deposit and tax rules use. |
| Security deposit | To your Stripe account | Held, charged or saved on the guest's card. UpMarket renews and releases it; Stripe pays out to you. |
| Tourist tax | To your Stripe account | Worked out from each booking's guests and nights by your rules, and collected by card during check-in. |
| Access codes | To your locks | Sent only once check-in is complete and payments are made. UpMarket works with Salto, dormakaba, TTLock, Akiles, Nuki, Tedee, Yale and 2N locks, among others. |
| Payment records | Checked against Stripe | A reconciliation job compares every deposit with Stripe and repairs any difference. |
| Paid extras | Optional | Extras bought at check-in or during the stay are paid on the same Stripe account. |
Not sure your setup fits?
Tell us your PMS, your locks and how you take deposits today, and we'll tell you how it connects.
Why UpMarket
A deposit that looks after itself, not one more payment link.
Your own Stripe account.
The money goes from the guest to you. Connect one Stripe account or several and choose which one each property uses.
No double charges.
A retried payment repeats the same request, so two clicks on Charge take one payment.
No gap in cover.
A renewed hold is placed before the old one is released.
Deposit taken before arrival
- UpMarket
- ✓
- By hand
- —
- A payment link
- ✓
30-day card hold, renewed on longer stays
- UpMarket
- ✓
- By hand
- 7 days
- A payment link
- —
Hold, charge or card on file, per property
- UpMarket
- ✓
- By hand
- —
- A payment link
- Charge only
Released automatically after checkout
- UpMarket
- ✓
- By hand
- By hand
- A payment link
- By hand
Tourist tax worked out per guest and night
- UpMarket
- ✓
- By hand
- By hand
- A payment link
- By hand
Door code only once payment is made
- UpMarket
- ✓
- By hand
- —
- A payment link
- —
Part of the deposit kept for damage
- UpMarket
- ✓
- By hand
- ✓
- A payment link
- By hand
Guest told at every step
- UpMarket
- ✓
- By hand
- —
- A payment link
- —
A public price.
UpMarket's prices are public: see what each plan includes and what it costs for your properties. Minimum €150 a month, with 10% off on annual billing.
What changes
Your team handles the exceptions, not every deposit.
Card holds
30 days
is how long a card hold stays in place through our arrangement with Stripe, instead of seven.
Operators
150+
operators run their guest operations on UpMarket.
On the platform
10,000+
properties run their guest operations on UpMarket.
Tourist tax
Tourist tax: the rules you can set and how UpMarket applies them.
Every city sets its own tourist tax, so UpMarket does not ship rates. You enter your rate and rules once, for one property or all of them, and the amount is worked out for every booking from its guests and nights.
| Rule | Applies | What you can set |
|---|---|---|
| Calculation | Per booking | An amount per person per night, or a percentage of the booking. |
| Cap | Per night | A maximum per night, when you charge a percentage. |
| Night limit | Per stay | Charge only the first nights of a stay, up to a number you choose. |
| Long-stay discount | Per stay | A percentage off after a number of nights. |
| Age exemption | Per guest | Guests under an age you set pay nothing. |
| Booking portals | Optional | Skip bookings from the portals you choose, for example where the portal already collects the tax. |
| Waivers and refunds | By your team | Your team can waive the tax for a booking or refund a payment. Check-in then continues without it. |
Deposits and tourist tax, answered.
What property managers ask before they automate deposits and tourist tax.
What is a vacation rental security deposit?
A vacation rental security deposit, also called a damage deposit, is an amount held on or charged to the guest's card to cover damage, and returned after checkout if there is none. With UpMarket the guest adds the card during online check-in, before arrival.
What are the three ways to take a deposit?
A card hold sets the amount aside on the guest's card without taking it. A charge at check-in takes the amount and refunds it after checkout. A card on file saves the card and takes nothing unless you make a claim. You choose per property, and UpMarket shows which method it recommends for your Stripe account.
Is a pre-authorisation better than a refundable deposit?
A pre-authorisation, or card hold, takes no money, so nothing has to be refunded, but it sets aside part of the guest's available balance and has a time limit. A refundable deposit is a real charge: the money is in hand and never lapses, but the guest waits a few days for the refund. With UpMarket a hold lasts 30 days, so it suits most stays; a charge suits very long stays, or when you want the money in hand.
How long can a deposit hold last?
30 days, through UpMarket's arrangement with Stripe. A standard card hold lasts seven. On stays longer than 30 days, UpMarket places a new hold before the old one runs out and then releases the old one.
Do I need special Stripe pricing for 30-day holds?
No. Stripe normally offers extended holds to accounts on its Interchange-Plus pricing or on individual request. It has approved them for the accounts connected through UpMarket, so you get them on your existing Stripe pricing.
When is a card on file charged?
Only if you make a claim. You charge the saved card from the deposit, up to the amount the guest agreed to, and the charge is final. A card that is never charged is removed automatically.
When does the guest get the deposit back?
Automatically, one day after checkout by default; you choose the number of days. If your team has not yet confirmed there is no damage, the release waits a further 48 hours by default. The guest gets a message when the deposit is released.
Can I keep part of a deposit for damage?
Yes. Keep part or all of a hold, or refund part of a charged deposit and keep the rest.
What happens if the guest's card is declined?
At check-in, the guest cannot finish until a card works. On a renewal during the stay, UpMarket retries up to five times, shows the deposit as “Authorized · action needed” and emails you the reason: insufficient funds, card limit, an unusable card or a decline.
Does the guest have to pay before getting the door code?
By default, yes. Check-in cannot finish until the tourist tax is paid and the deposit is settled, and access codes are sent only after check-in. You can change this for a property.
Can I take a security deposit on Airbnb or Booking.com bookings?
UpMarket applies your deposit rule to every booking your PMS sends, whatever the portal, and lets you exclude the portals you choose. Each portal has its own terms on charging guests outside the platform, so check them before you include a portal.
Does UpMarket offer a damage waiver or insurance?
No. UpMarket collects a refundable deposit, as a card hold, a charge or a saved card. It does not sell damage waivers or insurance.
Is UpMarket a payment processor?
No. Card payments run on Stripe, on the Stripe account you connect, and Stripe pays out to you. UpMarket decides when to hold, renew, charge and release. Guests enter their card in Stripe's payment form.
How is tourist tax calculated?
By your rules: an amount per person per night or a percentage of the booking, with a cap per night, a limit on the number of nights charged, a long-stay discount and an age below which guests pay nothing. UpMarket works out the amount for each booking and the guest pays it by card during check-in.
Does UpMarket know my city's tourist tax rate?
No. Cities set and change their own rates, so you enter yours once, for one property or all of them.
Do I have to chase guests who have not paid?
No. Guests get the check-in link seven days before arrival and an automatic reminder two days before by default. If check-in is still pending on the day of arrival, UpMarket emails you.
Which currencies can I charge in?
Sixteen: EUR, GBP, USD, CHF, SEK, NOK, DKK, PLN, CAD, AUD, BRL, MXN, ARS, COP, CLP and PEN.
Can guests ask about their deposit in chat?
Yes. UpMarket's AI concierge answers deposit questions from the guest's own booking, in their language, at any hour, and passes to your team what needs a person.
How much does it cost?
UpMarket's prices are public on the pricing page, with a minimum of €150 a month and 10% off on annual billing.
Still have questions?
Contact usDeposits and tourist tax settled before the door opens.
Your PMS holds the booking. We run the stay. Bring one property and your current deposit and tourist tax rules: we set them up in the demo.