Guide

Connect a way to take payment

Until you connect a payment gateway your booking page cannot take a deposit, so this is one of the first things to do. It covers connecting Stripe, using Windcave, and the one difference that matters: only Stripe can auto-charge for damage, fuel and over-mileage after a hire.

5 min read

This guide answers

  • Why does my booking page say online payment is not available?
  • How do I connect Stripe?
  • Should I use Stripe or Windcave?
  • Why can't I auto-charge damage or over-mileage on Windcave?

Glovebox takes deposits and payments through a payment gateway you connect: Stripe or Windcave. Until one is connected, your booking page cannot take money and shows customers a message that online payment is not available, so connect one before you go live.

Before you start

You need an account with the gateway you want to use:

  • Stripe is connected through Stripe Connect, so you need (or can create) a Stripe account during the connect flow.
  • Windcave requires your Windcave username and API key from your Windcave account.

Gateway fees are charged by Stripe or Windcave, not by Glovebox.

Where to find it

In the left sidebar, open Settings, then open Taking payments (under the Payments heading).

  1. On the Payments tab, click Connect Stripe.
  2. Complete the Stripe onboarding in the window that opens (business details and a payout bank account).
  3. When you return to Glovebox, the tab shows Stripe as connected.
  4. Make sure Offer Stripe at checkout is on.
  5. Click Save.

Steps — Windcave

  1. On the Payments tab, enter your Windcave Username and API key.
  2. Click Save to store the credentials.
  3. Turn Offer Windcave at checkout on.
  4. Click Save.

What you should see when it worked

The tab shows which gateway customers currently pay with, and the message about online payment being unavailable disappears from your booking page. A test booking now offers a card payment.

Things worth knowing

  • You cannot switch both gateways off. Glovebox will not let you save with no way to take payment, and it turns a gateway off automatically if its credentials or Stripe connection are missing.
  • Post-hire charges need Stripe. Over-mileage, damage and fuel shortfalls can be charged automatically only through Stripe. On Windcave you collect those manually, and Glovebox will flag it. If you expect to charge for damage or extra kilometres after a hire, use Stripe.

If it did not work

  • Stripe still shows as not connected after onboarding. The onboarding was not finished (often a missing bank account or business detail). Click Connect Stripe again and complete the remaining steps.
  • "Offer Windcave at checkout" is greyed out. You have not saved a Windcave username and API key yet. Enter both and save first.
  • Set your deposit and balance rules Your deposit and balance rules decide how much a customer pays at booking and when the rest is due. This covers the deposit type, the pay-in-full window for last-minute bookings, and whether Glovebox charges the balance for you.
  • Make a vehicle bookable (why customers can't book it) Whether a vehicle can be booked depends on several switches in different places, so a car that looks fine can still be unbookable. This is the one checklist that names every control, in the order worth checking them.

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