# How guests book

Source: https://app.rentiqa.com/help/hosts/how-guests-book

> Choose instant book or request to book and a cancellation policy, make the place public, and check why a public place might still not take bookings.

## Instant book or request to book

On the place's Overview, under **More for this rental**, open **Check-in and instant book**. Under **How guests book** choose:

- **Request to book** (the default): the guest's card is authorized, not charged. You approve or decline within a limited time; the card is charged only when you approve. If you do not answer in time, the request expires and the hold is released.
- **Instant book**: the booking is confirmed as soon as the guest's payment is authorized, and their card is charged then. Guests cannot pick dates that are already booked or blocked. If the nights are taken in the moment between booking and payment (say a stay arrives from a synced calendar), the booking arrives as a request instead and you are told.

The setting applies to bookings made from then on.

## Cancellation policy

On the same page choose **Flexible**, **Moderate**, **Strict** or **Non-refundable**. Each choice shows what the guest gets back if they cancel. The policy is copied onto each new booking, so changing it affects future bookings only. Guests see it on the listing and on their trip, and the exact refund before they cancel.

Press **Save instructions** to keep your choices.

## Make it public

The badge at the top of the place's page shows whether guests can find it. Press **Make public** (and confirm) when the price, photos and details are right; **Make private** hides it again. **View public page** shows what guests see.

## Public, but guests cannot book?

- **Payouts are not set up.** Guests see "Not bookable yet" on search cards and "Not taking bookings yet" on the listing until your payout account is ready. See [Get paid](https://app.rentiqa.com/help/hosts/get-paid).
- **Short stays in the state are not open on Rentiqa yet.** Guests see "Opening soon" on search cards and "Bookings open soon" on the listing. Your place's **Taxes** page says which applies to your address. See [Lodging taxes](https://app.rentiqa.com/help/hosts/lodging-taxes).
- **A registration is required.** In some states the listing is hidden until you add your registration on the **Taxes** page.
- **The address has no state.** Add it on the **Details** tab.

You cannot book your own place; on your own listings the button reads **Your listing**.

## Share your listing

On the place's page in **Your rentals**, **Copy link** puts the public address on your clipboard; **View public page** shows what a guest sees. Paste the link in a Facebook post, a message to a past guest or your own site. A booking made from that link is marked as coming from your own share, so you can tell those stays from the ones Rentiqa's search brought.

Next: [Today and your bookings](https://app.rentiqa.com/help/hosts/today-and-your-bookings).