Hello everyone, here's what's new with LocalOTA this fall - available now for all hosts and partner websites!
California now requires a full refund within 24 hours of purchase when a booking is made more than 72 hours before arrival. At LocalOTA, we support this consumer protection — and we’ve solved a pain point it can create for hosts. Most processors still charge card fees even when a guest cancels, so we built a behind-the-scenes purchase flow for hosts connected through Stripe, Square, Authorize.net, and others. When a guest books, we place an authorization for the amount set in the host’s settings and wait 24 hours to capture it. If the guest cancels within that window, the authorization simply expires — no charge, no processing fee. For most hosts, that avoids roughly 3% in unnecessary costs on bookings canceled within the law’s 24-hour period.
This feature is available to all hosts and websites, regardless of where your business is located.
We redesigned mobile search so guests can see the map and property list, making it faster to compare locations, prices, and availability — and boosting conversion.
LocalOTA now connects with:
- ResNexus
- TrackPMS
- iGMS
Next up: Smoobu and HostAway. Need another system? Tell us what software your business utilizes.
Hosts can now allow ACH and/or SEPA payments where supported by your processor. Because bank transfers clear slower, you can set:
- Minimum days before arrival
- Minimum reservation amount
Tip: Many bank transfers have a minimum fee. For smaller bookings (e.g., <$30), review your merchant agreement before enabling.
We upgraded auto-collect deposits and payment schedules:
- View, add, edit, or remove scheduled payments
- Choose the payment method per installment
- If a payment fails or a method is missing, guests are auto-notified to update their card; the system then charges the right amount automatically
You can now define separate policies for extended stays:
- Set minimum days requirements on cancellation policies and specific taxes/fees
- Maintain different rules for short vs. long stays
Add images to each Extra and display custom text above the Extras during checkout to improve attachment rates.
Under Calendar → Group Editor, view group-level and property-level occupancy to plan pricing, promos, and staffing.
Questions or want help turning on any of these features?
Email [email protected] — we’re happy to set it up with you.
Thanks,
LocalOTA Staff