Taking bookings is only part of running a surf camp. You also need to collect deposits and balances, understand when money will arrive, and make your payment and cancellation terms clear to clients.
Use this practical checklist to set up a payment process that is easier to manage.
Choose a payment method that fits your bookings
Compare payment options using your provider’s current fee schedule. Check card and international transaction fees, supported currencies, local payment methods, refund costs, and how quickly funds reach your account. Avoid relying on peer-to-peer transfers that are not intended for business payments.
If you take bookings online, consider a booking platform that connects payments to availability. Check whether it can collect deposits, show outstanding balances, send reminders, and handle add-ons in the same booking. Compare the total cost with the administration it removes, rather than looking at the transaction fee alone.
Before opening bookings, complete a test transaction and refund. Confirm the client receives a receipt and that the payment appears against the correct booking.
Set deposit and balance terms before taking bookings
Choose a deposit that gives you meaningful commitment while keeping the booking accessible to your clients. Base the amount on your costs, cancellation terms, and how far ahead people tend to book. For trips with different costs or booking windows, set a sensible default and adjust it for individual trips.
Decide when the balance is due, leaving enough time to follow up on a failed payment and plan for a cancelled booking. Tell clients the deposit amount, balance amount, due date, and whether a saved payment method will be charged automatically. Send a confirmation that repeats those terms.
Roamer lets operators set deposit rules as a company default and override them for individual trips where needed.
Keep a simple cash-flow record
Treat deposits as money you may need to refund until you have delivered the trip. For each camp, keep track of:
- Bookings and amounts collected
- Balances still due and their due dates
- Expected operating costs and when they must be paid
- Your refund obligations under the cancellation policy
Review this before committing to significant costs. A booking total is not the same as cash already collected, and collected deposits are not automatically available to spend.
Make cancellation terms easy to find
Write down what happens when a client cancels, when they can receive a refund or credit, and what happens if you cancel the camp, including for unsafe conditions. Make the terms available before payment and ask clients to acknowledge them during booking. Keep a copy with the booking record.
For group bookings, establish who is responsible for payment and what happens if a participant leaves. If each participant is booking separately, make sure each person receives their own payment confirmation and policy.
Prepare for failed payments and disputes
Use your booking system or payment provider to identify overdue balances and failed charges. Send a clear reminder with the amount due and a secure way to pay; follow up directly when a payment remains unresolved.
Keep the booking confirmation, the policy the client accepted, payment receipts, relevant messages, and records showing that the trip or service was provided. If a client disputes a charge, check your processor’s response deadline and submit the relevant records promptly and factually.
Before you open bookings
- Check payment methods, fees, currencies, and refund handling with your provider.
- Set deposit, balance, and cancellation terms for each trip.
- Test a booking, receipt, reminder, and refund.
- Decide how you will monitor outstanding balances and failed payments.
- Keep booking, policy, payment, and attendance records together.
Roamer team
Guides and resources for surf, SUP, wingfoil and padel camp operators.