Frequently Asked Questions on Guestbook

Frequently Asked Questions

What if my hard drive becomes corrupted?
Who can access my information?
Can I access my information from another computer?
How will I know that a booking has been made?
Do I pay more if I have more rooms?
Will I be able to accept credit cards for payments?
Is it easy to use?
How do I get upgrades?
Is training included?
Do I need to worry about backups?
What does it cost?
Where do I go for more answers?

BACK TO TOP What if my hard drive becomes corrupted?

Guestbook is an online application. This means that, as with internet banking, the software and your data is not stored on your local harddrive, but on a secured server on the internet. So, if you want to upgrade your computer, or if your computer is stolen, you do not loose your data and you dont need to do any setup again - it is all still there where it was, at guestbook.co.za.

BACK TO TOP Who can access my information?

Only people with your password can access your rooms and bookings. Similarly, other users can only access their information.

BACK TO TOP Can I access my information from another computer?

The beauty of online applications like guestbook is that you can access your information from anywhere in the world - including the neighbours next door. Any computer with an internet connection can access the information providing the correct username and password is provided.

BACK TO TOP How will I know that a booking has been made?

Emails and SMS notifications. Guestbook will send you an email every time someone makes a booking. You can also choose to receive an sms.

BACK TO TOP Do I pay more if I have more rooms?

Generally, yes. We charge R30 room/stand/unit. This is a general guide based on our affordability calculations. If you charge R100 per room per night with an occupation percentage of 50% - that means 1 night in 2 months will pay for using guestbook. We do realize that some business models work differently so we are open to suggestions. If you want to pay us more than that because we make your life so much easier, we can discuss that too :)

BACK TO TOP Will I be able to accept credit cards for payments?

We currently integrate with PayToStay to handle credit card payment processing. You can choose sign up with them and immediately use their processing with guestbook. Or If you want to use some other credit card processing company you can let us know the details and we'll integrate it into our system (if viable). PayToStay charges a reasonable monthly fee and a small percentage per transaction. They offer valuable service and industry knowhow. The four most sought after credit cards (MASTERCARD, VISA, AMERICAN EXPRESS (AMEX) and DINERS INTERNATIONAL are included.

BACK TO TOP Is it easy to use?

We created GuestBook because we took one look at existing software and realised we could make things a lot simpler for the majority of accommodation establishments. Setting up your lodge shouldn't take you more than 30 minutes. If you find that something is not easy to use, please let us know. We are committed to making guestbook as sensible and simple as we can.

BACK TO TOP How do I get upgrades?

There is only one version of GuestBook - the one running on the server. You don't install anything on your computer, so you cannot be out of date, need to upgrade or anything. All you need to do is open your web browser and log into your account.

BACK TO TOP Is training included?

Using GuestBook is intuitive and no training should be necessary. We do offer a detailed manual as well as email and telephonic support.

BACK TO TOP Do I need to worry about backups?

Since all your data is on our servers, we do the backups.

BACK TO TOP What does it cost?

The subscription fees to use Guestbook is R149.00 per month or R1499.00 per year. Included in the service is the accommodation management system, online reservation system, the credit card payment system and internet presence through the PayToStay portal.