A guest books a lesson and pays a deposit. Your office wants to spend less time chasing the balance. The guest needs to know how much is due and how they can pay before arriving. The booking confirmation is the first place to show that information.
Which email does the guest get from request to arrival?
| Trigger | What the guest learns | |
|---|---|---|
| A guest submits a booking request. | Booking request | The school has received the request and will review it. |
| The booking is awaiting a bank transfer. | Pending bank transfer | How much is due and where to transfer it. |
| The booking is confirmed. | Booking confirmation | What they booked, when it takes place and how much is still due. |
| A payment rule is due and there is an outstanding balance. | Payment reminder | The current balance and, if available, a payment link with a deadline. |
| The scheduled time before arrival is reached and the reminder is active. | Upcoming booking | Where to meet and how to prepare, plus a payment notice, a check-in link or both, depending on the booking. |
Booking and payment emails record a specific transaction. Arrival and review reminders have their own sending rules and respect the guest’s email preferences. The office may get a separate internal message, for example when a new request needs review.
How does the booking confirmation help guests pay the balance?
Suppose a course costs €240. The guest pays an €80 deposit. When the booking is confirmed, the email shows the deposit and the €160 balance. If a payment link is available, the guest can use it to pay before arriving.
Set a payment reminder for offers where the balance is due before arrival. Give guests enough time between the reminder and the due date. The payment link and how long it lasts depend on your settings. TIDEFORCE checks whether there is still a balance before sending a reminder. The sequence ends once the booking is paid in full.
The upcoming booking email runs on its own schedule. It can still explain where to meet and how to prepare. Once the booking is paid in full, that email drops the outstanding payment notice. Online check-in depends on whether a check-in link is available.
Which templates are available in Email Studio?
| Area | Common templates and triggers |
|---|---|
| Bookings and check-in | Request, confirmation, update, cancellation, expiry and completion. A separate template gives participants with their own email address a personal check-in link. |
| Payments and reminders | Payment received, partial payment, failed payment, payment request and a due payment reminder. Arrival and review have their own templates. |
| Customer accounts | Welcome, account activation, email verification, sign-in code and password reset. |
| Vouchers and rentals | Voucher issue and redemption, plus the start and completion of a walk-in rental. |
| Shop | Send a quote or order, confirm a purchase, announce pickup or shipment, and confirm a cancellation or refund. |
| Guidebook | For events with registration, examples include sign-up confirmation, check-in code, schedule changes and cancellations. |
| Office and staff | Internal updates such as new booking requests, received payments and low shop stock. |
The templates your team sees and those that apply to guests depend on your workflow, payment methods and permissions. When looking for a message, start with the action and the recipient.
Where do the details in the email come from?
The default templates are ready for the situations they cover. TIDEFORCE takes the school’s name, logo and contact details from Company Configuration and the location profile. Saved links such as Google Reviews come from Social Links. The booking reference, dates, payment status and personal links come from the relevant transaction.
In Email Studio, you can edit the subject, copy, images, branding and offer-specific instructions where the template supports them. For example, add your school’s meeting point while the payment amount still comes from the booking.
Check the sequence with one booking
- Preview the confirmation with a deposit. Can the guest see the remaining balance and the next step?
- Check when the payment reminder is due for that offer and whether the rule includes a payment link.
- Compare the upcoming booking email for a partially paid booking and a fully paid one. Check the payment status, meeting point and any available check-in link.
To find the editing and preview controls, see how to set up booking emails in Email Studio.
01Do guests first see the balance in the payment reminder?
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The booking confirmation already shows the balance when a booking is confirmed with a deposit. A later payment reminder requires a matching rule to be due and a balance to remain open.
02How does a payment reminder differ from an upcoming booking email?
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A payment reminder follows the payment rule for an open balance. An upcoming booking email follows the schedule before arrival and tells the guest how to prepare.
03Which email applies when a booking changes?
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Use Booking updated to notify guests about changes. There is a separate cancellation template. When changing a booking, check whether the guest should be notified and which details they need.
How does this work at your school?
Bring an everyday task from your school. We’ll show you how it could work in TIDEFORCE.
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