Challenge

Online booking systems had grown in popularity and need, but were slow and antiquated. Inn Style saw an opportunity to eliminate repetitive administrative tasks for accommodation owners. It wanted to create a user-friendly platform to handle bookings and communication with guests for accommodation owners who loved accepting bookings but wanted to minimise administrative hassles. That year it launched Inn Style, a cloud-based booking management system designed to help hotels, lodges, bed and breakfasts, and other accommodation businesses create, organise, and manage online reservations. From the beginning it prioritised finding a payments provider that would be easy for both guests and property owners to use, facilitate fast financial transactions, and accept different currencies.

The company also needed a payment solution that would enable international expansion and make onboarding customers quick and hassle-free. “Before launching our platform, we knew that bringing new properties on board could be a juggling act. We needed a system that could handle this without us having to micromanage every step,” said David Smith, chief of staff at Inn Style.

Solution

In 2011, Inn Style turned to Stripe to integrate payments into its property management software. With Stripe Payments, the platform gave accommodation owners and guests the ability to accept multiple currencies and payment methods. Because Stripe natively supports all card payment types, 135+ currencies, and Link, a secure, accelerated checkout that auto-fills customers’ payment information, Inn Style is able to ensure the payment experience for customers is seamless and tailored to their purchasing preferences. The company has since added Instant Payouts, a feature that offers rapid access to funds and allows Inn Style to give its customers the flexible cash flow options.

When it came to onboarding new properties, Inn Style found its solution in Stripe Connect, a fast and easy way to integrate payments into platforms or marketplaces. This integration streamlined the process of onboarding new property owners into the payment system. Owners can create their Stripe accounts through Inn Style’s API, which has greatly reduced Inn Style’s workload.

“New property owners can simply click on the Stripe logo, follow the instructions, and they're [instantly] set up with a Stripe Connect account. This not only makes onboarding smoother but also gives us the ability to troubleshoot any issues quickly,” said Smith.

Results

Over £200 million in payments processed through Stripe since 2011

In 2023, Inn Style processed 341,000 bookings, and by the end of that year its payments volume with Stripe had reached over £200 million. The company now operates in 27 countries, and it achieved an almost perfect score in payments reliability, with very low error and chargeback rates. “We pride ourselves in providing the most secure and reliable payment experience for our customers,” said Smith. “I can't immediately think of a time when a property owner has come to us with a payment issue. Stripe helps us achieve that.”

Stripe's Instant Payout functionality was an important competitive differentiator for Inn Style, as payment speed is a key factor for accommodation owners. Initially, Inn Style offered weekly payouts, but now it offers three-day payouts without additional charges, and some customers even receive daily payouts. “For some of our smaller business customers, getting their hands on their money sooner with Instant Payouts is crucial for their cash flow,” said Smith. “And for our long-term customers, having options like three-day payouts is a big win, helping them with easier reconciliation.”

More than 800 properties onboarded across the globe

Inn Style’s onboarding process is now completely self-serve and takes only a few minutes. This process dramatically reduces the time and effort required by internal teams for onboarding and customer support. With more than 800 properties globally now using Inn Style, this ease of integration and the ability to immediately start processing payments have been game changers.

“The automation that Stripe provides makes a massive difference, especially since we've got so many customers, all around the world,” said Smith. “Managing all those customer bases, with multiple subscriptions going out on different days, weeks, months, or years, some annually and some monthly – Stripe handles all of that with ease.”