Table ReservationsTapa TableCard Details

How do I set up compulsory card details for reservations?

What are compulsory card details?

Compulsory card details let you require a guest card before a reservation is confirmed. This helps reduce no-shows and gives you a stored card that can be charged if your cancellation policy allows it.

Before getting started

If card details are required for online reservations, TapaPay must be set up first.

Set up a card rule

  1. Go to Settings > Tables > Services.
  2. Edit the required service.
  3. Open the Rules section.
  4. Click Add Rule.
  5. Tick Enabled.
  6. Enter a description, for example Require Card All Bookings.
  7. Choose Require Card from the Type dropdown.
  8. Enter Trigger Covers.
  9. Use 1 if card details should be required for every booking, or a higher number if they should only apply from a certain party size upward.
  10. Select the relevant Time Profile.
  11. Tick Charge Per Cover if the no-show or cancellation charge should apply per guest.
  12. Enter the Charge Amount.
  13. Click Save.
  14. Use Update Tills and then Send Changes to apply the update to the reservations widget.

If you want card details to be compulsory for all reservations, set Trigger Covers to 1. If you only want them for larger bookings, set the trigger to the minimum cover count where the rule should start.

Make sure your cancellation and no-show policy is clearly stated in the online terms and conditions, and refresh the widget browser after sending changes. Allow up to two minutes for updates to apply.

Examples

  • All bookings: Set Trigger Covers to 1 with a charge amount such as 20.00.
  • Large groups only: Set Trigger Covers to 6 so smaller parties can book without providing card details.
  • Per guest: Tick Charge Per Cover if the stored-card charge should multiply by the number of covers on the booking.

FAQs

How do I make card details compulsory for every reservation?

Set Trigger Covers to 1 so the rule applies to every booking on that service and time profile.

Can I require card details only on busy days?

Yes. Use a rule with a matching time profile so the card requirement only applies on selected days or services.

What does Charge Per Cover do?

It applies the configured no-show or cancellation charge for each guest instead of charging one fixed amount for the whole booking.